For the Honour of Love
by PrincessAdora1
Summary: When seriously injured during a battle with Skeletor He-Man is rushed back to Castle Greyskull where his parents realize he is more serious then either of them expected. Knowing the seriousness of his wounds King Grayskull journey's to etheria on which his daughter She-Ra protects same as shyara and tells her that she is needed. She has no choice but to disobey the King's orders.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: This is not following the series; it is but it isn't. This is my own creation taken from the new series, and the old series, I don't own this series, the respective owners do. Veena and Grayskull are alive, Adam and adora are 20 while the "hero's" are in their early thirties.**

**Chapter One**

"Give it up, Skeletor. You know you're never going to get into Greyskull as long as I'm around. Maybe it's time for you to give up and go home. It's too nice of a day to do this." He-Man retorted easily, hiding his inner frustrations through years of practice. Eight years was a long time, and while he had no intention of retiring he was tired of doing this same dance day in and day out. "Why don't you give up and go home? If you'd rather stay here I can arrange a comfortable prison cell for all of you."

"Out of my way, muscle head. You're not going to stop me this time." Skeletor snapped. The hero who stood in front of the castle wouldn't win. "I know nothing of the sort." the villain denied.

"Don't you get tired of losing, bonehead?" He-Man asked as he waited for Skeletor to make his move. The bone faced goon had a plan; he always did, a new weapon, magic spell or even plot to take over Eternia, no doubt. This day was not going as planned.

"Yes," Skeletor agreed, "which is why I won't lose this time!" He raised a red jewel at which time he pointed it at He-Man and Battle Cat, releasing a ray of maroon light.

He-Man resisted the urge to jump out of the way; he had no way of knowing what this thing would do to Greyskull if he let it hit the magical defences, and without the Sorceress there to reinforce them, he couldn't risk Skeletor managing to neutralize them. His mother's powers were still weakened from the last battle but he hoped they would be enough if she had to use them; his father was at the palace, in conference with King Randor and knew he would not be there in time, even if he pushed one of the vehicles or even himself to max speed. Instead, He-Man blocked the ray with his sword; to his dismay, it bounced off setting a tree ablaze.

Battle Cat roared ran at Skeletor. Evil-Lynn muttered something about turning him into a kitten and blasted a magical beam at him, but with the help of his feline instincts made him leap out of the way. "You fool! You missed! Hit the green cat, not a tree." Skeletor ordered. "Panthor finish the job!"

Panthor and Battle Cat circled each other. The green tiger growled both breathing heavy and battered. Panthor was suddenly finished the fight. The large creature ceased its feral posture and suddenly turned his back on Battle Cat. As he walked away, Panthor looked back at Battle Cat and gave a low growl. Battle Cat stood his ground and remained in a defensive posture. The panther sped toward the Evergreen Forest and disappeared in the darkness of the trees. Taking advantage of Skeletor's distraction, He-Man sprinted towards him. Skeletor caught the sudden motion, however, and fired at He-Man rapidly, laughing maniacally the entire time. He-Man somersaulted through the air in an attempt to avoid the shots. Still, one of the rays singed his upper left bicep. The pain seemed to encase the upper half of his arm, causing He-Man to hiss in surprise as he landed right in front of Skeletor.

"You lose again, Skeletor. Time for you to go home, or I arrange accommodations in the royal prison."

"Oh really?" Skeletor sneered. With his free hand, he dug his nails into the fresh burn on He-Man's left arm. An involuntary yell let loose from He-Man's mouth, but didn't lose focus, if he did, someone would ambush him and he could not, would not, let that happen. Especially when he knew his mother would be hurt if he did. He wasn't about to let that happen. Instead he ignored it. He swung Skeletor around, forcing him to let go."Uh!" Skeletor yelped as He-Man knocked him against a stone wall. He-Man pulled out a pair of power cuffs and got them on the villain before he could move. "No!" Skeletor gasped. "You can't do this!" He coughed harshly, and then went still.

"Funny," He-Man grunted. "I thought I just did." He frowned. He hadn't been as careful as usual but regardless of his condition, he knew the evil sorcerer would not only be fine, but come back stronger than the last time, something he was not looking forward too. A roar reminded him Battle Cat faced his own enemy, in the form of the purple cat Panthor.

But he couldn't help him; he still had some of his own problems. Turning, he saw Evil-Lynn right behind him, her hands raised. He dove out of the way, realizing too late she hadn't been aiming for him, they had been aiming for the castle's defences, the combined magic was to powerful even for his mother. 'I have to stop him. He doesn't look like he's going to last much longer.'' Veena thought as she watched helplessly from the castle window using her magic as secretly as she could to encase Evil Lynn in a force field. After nearly five minutes of holding the spell it died suddenly when Skeletor raised the ray to Greyskull causing Veena to collapse.

Skeletor fired constant shots, some of them came from the crystal, and others were stun beams coming from his hand. He-Man tried to dodge the crystal's beam as he blocked the stun beam with his sword, but when he instead caught one of the sphere's blasts on his arm, it quickly enveloped him. Pain radiated from his arm throughout his body. It felt as if someone were trying to rip him out of his own skin. The pain grew sharper, more intense, driving him to his knees. It was only a life time of stubbornness didn't bring him down fully. Skeletor laughed in delight, the noise grating on He-Man's ears.

"You'll never get inside Greyskull as long as I'm here to protect it." He-Man said forcing his voice to remain strong. He looked up to the window, where his mother watched with concern, unable to do more than she was to help him.

"That can be easily changed. You may have won this round He-Man, but you won't be so lucky next time."Skeletor vowed and disappeared.

He-Man put a hand to his head and gathered himself. "Blast. And I thought Skeletor had given up that routine." He-Man muttered. He smashed the jewel with the heel of his boot and blew out the fire the rays had caused, ignoring his injury. When the last tongues of fire had been blown out, he raised his arm and looked at it, hissing at the pain the movement had caused and the sight of the injury. The ray cut into his muscle and burned it so severely, the muscle blistered.

He cast a glance at Greyskull; the Sorceress was on a scouting mission, and wouldn't be back for hours. His mother, the former sorceress, and Lana's mentor was there to protect Greyskull, but even her powers were not enough. He had been able to only because of his mother who protected the castle with its defences and her magic.

_'She's going to be too tired to heal this. No sense in giving her more to worry about.' _He thought looking over at his tiger. "Come on, Cat," he said reluctantly. The hero hauled himself into the saddle, barely having the strength to hold on. "I'm going to have to ask Duncan to take a look at this. Normally I'd go to my mother, but that may not be a good idea right now. She has more than enough to worry about than just me."

_''Thank you, He-Man. You were at the right place at the right time.'' _ His mother sent to him telepathically.

He waved in reply, but didn't go in.''_Always happy to help.'__' _He returned _'__'I'll be back.'' _

Veena stood in the window of Greyskull, watching He-Man and Battle Cat leave, a concerned frown on her face. The feathers on her cape fluttered and swished in time with the movement of the breeze. She gazed out the large circular window at her retreating protector, lost in her thought.

'_Eternian's champions and my children, have a heavy burden. Both He-Man and She-Ra, are growing weary. The day after Grayskull leaves for Eternos, Skeletor decides to try to attack non-stop, preventing anyone from getting here to help him. And if King Randor thinks preventing either of them to help the other, well that's a different story. He can't do that! It's not right!' _Veena grimaced. _'I wish-' _She squared her shoulders and began to pace. 'I can watch the view screen.' Veena shook her head regretfully, and sighed. _'It's all I can do for the time being at least until Grayskull or Lana get back. For right now I'd better keep an eye on Skeletor. He's up to something and I for one want to know what it is. Maybe he'll actually give up for awhile. Ancients only know they deserve the break. If their sleep patterns don't return to normal soon, I don't know what might happen. If I get bored I can always find a book in the library, most of my books are about magic, but with Grayskull being a history buff, and a bookworm he has thousands of books to choose from. If he ever gets the chance to read one that is.' _She headed back inside, not knowing that her son's life was in danger.

After Battle Cat was sure his lifelong friend was on securely balanced he began to run. While he was exhausted from he was the only one who could get to the palace. Something inside of him told him that his master needed him, but he wasn't just a master, he was also a friend. The faster he ran, the faster he got his best friend to the palace to someone like Duncan who could help him like he once helped him.

For the first trek of the journey He-Man wasn't aware of the seriousness of the wound-some pain occasionally but nothing he couldn't deal with, he had before, but not like this. It was because the wound was deep he figured. But soon it became inflamed and sore and he found himself hot with fever. Slipping in and out of consciousness and delirium, he wasn't sure where he was going. He relied on Battle Cat to take him home, but the cat knew even at his speed he may not be fast enough. Clinging to his tiger's saddle was the only way He-Man could remain seated and prevent himself from falling off.

It was late in the afternoon, the breeze was gentle and cool against He-Man's face. The sun shone through the treetops but the path was shaded. It was quiet, just the rustling of the leaves could be heard. It was a few moments before he realized that they had stopped and as he opened his eyes. The fever burned in his veins and he wasn't able to focus his eyes. Battle Cat was near the point of collapsing as he raced through Evergreen Forest. So far Battle Cat had been lucky as he raced through the trees as so far there had been no sighting of Doom Troopers or Evil Warriors. Up ahead Battle Cat saw a clearing in the trees beyond, the clearing was known to all Eternia as Kings Point just beyond lay the palace of Eternia, and Duncan. On foot a normal human could make it to the palace in three hours, Battle Cat made it in half that time and by the time he made it to Duncan's lab he all but collapsed from exhaustion.

Duncan who had been working on repairing one of the vehicles nearly dropped a tool on his foot as he raced to his friend's side. He staggered slightly as he joined him in another part of his lab, only few had access, and he was one of them. It was the one space he knew he could speak freely. He-Man barely lowed himself down to the couch.

"What happened?" Duncan asked punching in a code that would protect the room from outside ears. Something told him he wanted to talk in private.

He-Man grimaced. "Skeletor." He clinched his teeth, fighting the pain with all his might. "He was about to get into Greyskull and if I let him use the jewel on the door who knows what damage it could have done. I had no choice, but to take him down. I found it very difficult trying to say on the saddle, it's not as easy as it looks whenever muscle is throbbing. Normally there's no problem. "

Every movement caused sharp pain to radiate throughout his body.

"Well for now Skeletor's gone. What concerns me right now is that arm's going to be nearly useless until Greyskull's magic heals it, which will take hours. I should have something that will help, for a time. Now where did I put it?"

Teela entered the workshop watching her father ducked under the counters. She was the only one other than He-Man who had security access. "By the grace of Eternia, what happened?"

He-Man frowned at her reaction. "Skeletor again. I got hit with one of Skeletor's rays, in addition to this jewel. But there was something familiar about this jewel I've seen it once before, but I have no idea where." he answered, keeping his tone even.

Duncan popped back up with a small, round container in his hand. He-Man half-hardheartedly wiped at his brow; it was getting warm in the workshop, regardless of the large open windows. "You said you've seen it somewhere before?" Duncan questioned.

He-Man nodded, but as he was about to respond Teela cut him off. Teela's eyes wide with fear and concern. "You can't do everything alone, no matter how strong you are, you should of got backup."

"She's right." Her father said, the small jar in his hand. He then looked over at his daughter. "And you must remember it's his job to protect the entire planet. Sometimes there's no choice to do what you have to or little time to call for help. His home/mother was in danger." He agreed. "But it doesn't mean he can't ask for help."

"Tell the king, not to me. I usually do Duncan, but nobody else could get there in time, and my mother had more than just me to look after. There was no time. Besides King Randor won't have it. He believes I should do everything by myself. Heck, he won't even let Adam see his sister but we go in secret, sometimes to surprise her, sometimes to lend a hand." He-Man shook his head to clear it, but it didn't help. His breathing was harsh, his heart was pounding.

He-Man deliberately slowed his breathing, leaning heavily on Battle Cat. He knew something was wrong, and the longer he hid it, the more trouble he'd be in later. "I'm not allowed to help my own sister anymore because of King Randor's order. Yet the last time I went to Etheria my sister was almost killed because she didn't have the help she needed, meaning I had to leave without the King's permission. If I had arrived seconds later, she could-"

"I know, I read your report. You had no choice." Duncan soothed, "You came to me for help. Etheria isn't used to the storms like we are. Even the king knows how dangerous storms like that can be when the don't have the resource we do. Whether he knows it or not you did the right thing. Nobody can argue with that. It's unlikely they even have the same emergency procedures we do. It seems to me you're the only one your sister relies on, even if you're not on the same planet."

"I know. That's what scares me. She-Ra tried to implement them but nobody feels they'd work. She also had to find Adora, who well had a run in with the resident bully. That's why I found my sister unconscious. Nobody gave her access to their fortified shelters. The last thing she needed was a panic. I may not have known what was going on when I woke my parents, but I did know about the storm seconds after I stepped through the portal. My strength was immediately drained. I wouldn't have been able to handle it if I didn't have help. I don't know how we did it, but we got inside just in the nick of time."

"That's what happens when you're out in a plasma storm doesn't it?"

Teela's eyes widened, wondering what horrors he had endorsed the last time King Randor had called him into his study. This was rare mind you. It was only Adam he yelled at but recently that was also happening to He-Man. He wasn't even his son, and much older than the prince. "How can anyone prevent you from helping your sister?"

"Only because I have inherited powers Teela. The pebble like drops are what drains power, not the storm itself. You have to be out in the storm to actually feel the effects. I'm not really sure how long she was out there, since I have yet to really talk to her and find out." He-Man shrugged, "I'm not sure why or how King Randor can prevent my sister from coming to help but in this case I have no choice but to overlook that order. Hordak is more dangerous than Skeletor and he knows it. She-Ra can handle it without me but sometimes-" the remainder of his statement stuck in the back of his throat.

Looking at He-Man now, a feeling of profound gratitude swept over her. He had saved Eternia AND Etheria for what may have been the ten thousandth time yet he never even got a thank you from the King of Eternia. She was thankful Adam had accepted the responsibility of the second half of the power sword and though he was not the sole protector of Eternia he did his part. He had saved her so many times. She smiled slightly as she reflected back. Adam always had stood up for what he thought was right, no matter how the other kids teased him.

"Well that's not right! You have a job to do, and the King has no right to tell you how to do it. You've been doing it for eight years without his direction; I'd think you have it down by now. It's not as if you're underage or something." Teela objected.

He-Man closed his eyes for several seconds, "I know Teela. I appreciate the compliment as always but I don't know what else to do. He made me swear NOT to tell anyone, but I have to I can't do my job with such weight on my shoulders. I have enough of it already. I have the entire planet to protect. Even I can't be in two places at once, but if my sister needs me I've to go to her! Hordak is dangerous."

"I know that and your father knows that. But what I don't know is why King Randor can't see that as clearly as we do. We've been there. He hasn't be he's seen the Horde. Now let's see about this cut huh?"

Gently he washed the area, careful not to re-open the wound with heavy pressure. "He-Man, this is not a normal cut, it's a burn. Skeletor's particular gift, no doubt. It will take a while before Greyskull's magic heals it for you. Until it does, that arm will be useless, but this should help speed things along."

He-Man hissed through clenched teeth Duncan reached for the jar of paste and removed the lid…the aroma was strong but not offensive. "What is that? It smells familiar. Orange zest."

"I'm not exactly sure what it's made of," His mentor confessed, "but when She-Ra gave it to me she called it a healing salve. All of the ingredients she's listed, including orange, can be used as medicine."

Pulling on some medical gloves, Duncan dipped two gloved fingers into the small jar. Once it was covered it with the orange paste he used a soft touch and spread it over the burn.

He-Man sucked in air sharply, "I thought that stuff was supposed to help, not burn." he complained, striving to keep his voice calm no matter how much it hurt to talk, not to mention breath.

Duncan smiled sympathetically, wrapping a loose bandage around He-Man's arm at the same time. "Forgive me. It's one of the side effects of this particular combination of herbs. Lemon balm for example contains chemicals called polyhedrons to fight several infection-causing bacteria. And White Aloe is supposed to be soothing, especially on burns, it also stings. It'll pass." He was right; within seconds the pastes started to sooth and ease the raw skin. He-Man didn't respond for several minutes.

"I can do something about the fever. I'm going to give you a shot to keep the fever down until we can get to Greyskull," Duncan said, already filling a needle.

"Duncan, Skeletor's going to attack. I can't... "

Duncan glared at him from behind his glasses, giving him 'the look' as it was often called. "I understand how you feel, but how can you possibly worry about Skeletor with the way you're feeling? I'll pull your father from the meeting. He looked as if he needed an excuse to leave anyways."

He didn't answer for several minutes. "Are you alright?"

He-Man shook his head, pulling himself back to reality. "Yes, I just lost myself for a minute thinking about how much easier it was when my sister was here," Duncan swallowed, but He-Man's words cut off his reply. "You are gifted in many ways." He looked into his eyes when he spoke.

"In some things... healing like this, not so much. Most of this I know from the years I spent studying medicine. Your father did teach me the basics of natural healing years ago. Your sister has that talent now. But you're right though. Things were a lot easier when she was here." He replied_.' If I did have that ability I could have saved your father sooner than we did.'' _Duncan thought to himself as he replaced the lid on the jar, removed his gloves, disposed them and washed his hands.

He folded his arms as he stared at He-Man. "Now, do you want to tell me why you went out there by yourself, instead of asking me, your father or Teela to go with you? You're exhausted. Skeletor's working around the clock to ware you and your father out. For some reason neither of you have assistance since King Randor has the masters out on patrols, or in other far off cities. That's not the worst of it though. King Randor intends to withdraw all Eternian support with Etheria. He believes even after all this time, the alliance with Etheria is a waste of time, even if he didn't put any support into it. Your father and I did all the leg work, sat down with the Etherian leaders and asked them for their support. If he does withdraw his support, we're not ever going to get it back. It was hard enough once, we worked for days on that alliance, trying to get the rulers to see it from our perspective. It was the first alliance your father drew, and the hardest. Didn't you say you had a hard time gaining the rebellion trust?"

"Yes. Rightfully so. Hordak rules the planet. I learned that the hard way once. Let's just say I'm not going to make that mistake again." He-Man admitted "If Hordak ever comes here; we're going to need all the help we can get. She-Ra has been given orders not to assist Eternia. I just didn't want to tell my father since it would give him more stress then he needs." He frowned at her protest and stated, "It's not that I've decided I don't need help. Its King Randor won't let me get the help."

Duncan shrugged. "I was afraid of that. You know you're going to have to tell him."

"I know. It wasn't something I was going to keep from him anyways. Even if it is King Randor's order not to tell him. It's not like I can keep it from him anyways, he'll find out from you if you have to tell him." Duncan nodded, "We provide the rebellion with more than just aide. Prince Adam designed the literacy program and runs the tutoring program. He visits regularly so he can provide supplies, and assists. Plus it's a chance to actually go see his sister and niece. I've actually done that too, even if Katelyn is my adoptive niece and Adora doesn't have any relation to me, but still I have to see her, as much as she has to see me. That way I'll have something positive to bring back to Eternia with me after the visit is over. Marlena likes my updates."

He-Man stared out of the small window, looking up into the sky. It was almost as if he had lost himself with his thoughts. "Why doesn't he want me to help her? Or her to help me? She was living on Eternia for a year and a half before she decided she was needed on Etheria. He had no objections. Why would he have objections now? He hasn't seen how much the people of Etheria need her help. You and father have. Even King Miro visited. I have never seen him so proud in my entire life. Would it make a difference if he saw what good Adora's doing?"

Duncan shrugged, "I don't know. There were times where we needed the assistance of both of you. King Randor welcomed your help. But that was when you were both here."He-Man nodded. "But now, he's changed, in more ways than one. But allowing him to go to Etheria to see for himself, the only thing he would see is the fact his daughter- Adam's sister, is putting herself in danger and it's safer for her here. He's never believed She-Ra was capable of protecting her. I still have no idea why, she's saved her life numerous times. If I remember correctly she was given the highest medal of honour for doing what she did for Adora, nearly killing herself in the process."

Um hum. There was nothing else she could have done. Adam believes he said something that triggered King Randor's reaction, but I wasn't there so I've no idea. All she was trying to do was get his blessing yet he didn't even listen. She was really upset. I haven't seen her that upset in a very, very long time Duncan. It broke my heart. There was nothing I could do about it. That's never happened to me before! I've been looking after the twins since they were three!"

Duncan nodded, "I know. I was there, remember? I think I gave you the job. I've never had any problems consoling her before. Neither have you. You were very good at it as I recall. Usually you were the one she confided in, especially when she had a fight with her brother; rare, but it still happened. Whenever she needs the extra help you leave, sometimes without telling me, but that doesn't mean the Sorceress doesn't tell me. I have to know. Just in case. Now tell me, why you didn't call for back up?"

"I was heading back to the palace when my mother contacted me. There was no time for me to do anything but face Skeletor. She had enough problems trying to keep the force field up. Besides I wasn't alone, Battle Cat was with me. I wouldn't have made it back here without him. One thing I do know is I've never felt that sort of pain before. I had no choice but to do what I did. This time Battle Cat knew he had to get me home, and did so as fast as he could."

"So that's why he looks so exhausted. He forced himself to get you here." Duncan muttered placing a bucket of water down for the cat which he slurped up greedy within seconds. He refilled it and looked into He-Man's eyes but the hero spoke before he did. "It's time to call in reinforcements."

"Yes Skeletor aimed this jewel at me; after he had weakened me with his magic after Skeletor fled I said good bye to my mother, and Battle Cat raced me here. Somehow he knew I needed you, because normally the only thing he wants to do after a long battle is sleep." He swallowed hard; his throat seemed to be terribly dry. "Duncan I-"

"And why not? Even you need help, nobody can tell you otherwise. You may have been doing this 'job' a lot longer than your sister, but a wise man once said 'When things get tough, team work is the answer.' You and your sister have always that team. Desperate times call for desperate measures. You need her help."

Finally, He-Man nodded and got to his feet. He closed his eyes remembering the last day he spent on Etheria, and the promise he had made to his sister, and she made to him '_If you ever need my help call. I'll be there. Day or night. All you have to do is call.' _It was the same promise he made to her, and followed through several times, sometimes when she didn't need the help. "Maybe you're right Duncan, as usual. I need the help. Not just from the masters this time. I need my sister, whether the king likes it or not." He-Man turned to Duncan, offering him a wry smile at the same time. "It's scary how well you know me, Duncan."

Duncan grinned. "That's part of my job, lad. It might be one of the reasons I was given your secret long before anyone else. I've also known your father for a very long time. I never imagined his son would turn out just like him."

His grin faded as he looked into his eyes, "You're physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. If you're forced to battle right now, you could make a mistake that costs lives. But I also know Skeletor isn't the least of your problems. Something or someone has been weighing you down. Does it have anything to do with the meeting King Randor had with you before Adora and your sister left?"

Knowing the safety of others would be far more likely to persuade the hero than his own well-being, Duncan left it at that. He'd bring the subject up again later. "It does Duncan, more than you know." But as he was about to continue he staggered forward.

Seeing the hero squeeze his eyes shut and open them again, he asked in concern, "He-Man, are you alright?" Duncan squeezed his eyes shut, '_Please, not again. Don't let this happen.' _

He-Man shook his head grasping the side of the counter to regain his balance and prevent him from falling forward, at least for the moment, "My vision got blurry for a minute. It's alright now. It's probably because I haven't eaten much today. I haven't had the time." He replied, putting a hand to his head.

His face was flushed, reddening at a fast rate. "Father..." Teela said worriedly.

Duncan felt the other side of He-Man's head. "You're burning up. The medication I gave you should have prevented that! Unless-" he exclaimed. Duncan swallowed, 'Pl_ease don't tell me it's the same thing that almost cost his father his life. We can't lose him! I can't go through that again, when his father finds out I don't think his father will be able to either. He'd blame himself for eternity if something happened to his only son and he wasn't there to prevent it.' _He thought before he stood up "I can't believe this. His injuries are magically induced. We've got to get you to Greyskull. NOW!" His words were cut off by a memory of the past, combined with He-Man's words.

"Duncan, I was at Greyskull." He-Man informed him. "Why the rush? It was a jewel, nothing new. But you know there was something different about this particular jewel. I don't know how it's possible, but I've seen it before. I don't know how."

Duncan nodded. "You say you've seen it before huh?" He questioned swallowing heavily. "We'd better get you to Greyskull. You need magic to heal your injuries. Skeletor used his special ability to burn you, that's what's causing the fever. Your mom can handle it. If we get you there in time."

He-Man heard his voice, but to him it was far away. Something was wrong, very wrong. He could do nothing to prevent what happened next. The room spun around him like a spinning top. Reaching for the nearest solid object he could find, He-Man forced himself to stay on his feet but the spinning didn't stop. His head felt heavy. The next thing he knew he was sinking to the floor.

"Adam!" Teela cried racing to his side, dropping down beside him, his arm, holding on to the counter top, was the only thing that prevented him from going down.

"Teela!" Her father snapped, watching the door like a hawk, praying it was who he thought it was and not some other bystander who may have heard what she said.

Man-at-Arms found he couldn't deny the truth; his daughter was too much like him not to see the hurt she felt at what she saw as her lifelong friend collapse in front of her. The Elders had been adamant that no one could know Prince Adam was He-Man or at least he was for the short time they were combined. Discovery was always possible; Teela had been a concern for Duncan. Now she knew the truth. But it was the only way, it would be harder for her, but she knew the risks, and it was a risk she was willing to take.

"This is exactly the reason why we didn't tell you in the first place. "He used two fingers to feel for a pulse as visions of the past came back to haunt him. It used everything he had to keep them at bay so he could focus. "You're too close to him especially now. It's not as if he didn't want to tell you, in fact he told me he hated hiding it from you it was because he didn't want to put you into any danger. Skeletor would have loved to probe you for information. It's one of the reasons your mother is trying to teach you how to block spells of control and mind taps." Her father hissed.

Duncan's eyes never left the door, as the knob turned and the door opened. In seconds he sighed in relief when he recognized the figure that entered the room, a mirror image of He-Man, but several years older. Grayskull, He-Man's father, and his best friend since they were children. His appearance was largely the same as He-Man's, but they were also different. He was much older than his son, long hair gathered into two long ponytails, and a long brown fur cape covered his muscular shoulders. Once he was at his son's side Duncan locked the door.

"It's alright Duncan. I figured you need my help." Grayskull, the owner of the shadow said, catching his son second before he hit the ground. "Stay with me!" He ordered looking up at Duncan. "I knew I shouldn't have stayed in that stupid conference all day. We're getting nowhere. Everything I set on the table is being rejected by the king! How does he know it won't work until he tries! He asked for my help and I stayed up for most of the night before the first meeting." He then looked over at Teela, "Your father's right though. You're lucky, it's only me. I was given this secret long before he was."

Teela slightly embarrassed. "He's my fiancé or Adam is my fiancé. It won't happen again."

Grayskull nodded, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I know you're worried about him. And we understand. But He-Man's my son. He was the one hurt, not Adam." He reminded her, "I've been married for almost thirty two years, unfortunately for your father and mother, they have not been so lucky. Your father did ask your mother to marry him, but by the time the wedding rolled around it was too dangerous to proceed. If times were different he would be married by now. Marriage is the best thing that ever happened to me, next to becoming a father."

Duncan nearly chocked. Marriage was something he had considered years ago, but he hadn't considered it for years. He couldn't leave his post, Randor wouldn't allow it. "Maybe in another life time, if Skeletor gives up."

"As I've told you several times we will get you married, even if I have to marry you myself!" Grayskull said with a smile turning to Duncan's daughter. "And to answer your question Teela I know where to find her. I was the king who negotiated the alliance with Eternia and Etheria. It is only for the protection of the rebellion that few non-members know where the hidden entrance is. You be surprised how much different it is from Eternia. There isn't anyone else willing to help her so her brother and I do what we can. Protecting a planet is a heavy responsibility. We do what we can, but even I can't be in two places at once. I need to sleep too. However, my wife has told me I don't sleep enough."

Duncan looked into his old friend's eyes, "She's right. Old habits die hard my friend."

Teela looked into her father's eyes asking him without words what he meant, but he ignored it "I know where it is too, but I haven't been there more than two times. Once when I rescued her. Maybe I'm a bit old fashion, but I was her guardian once, I wanted to make sure she was really alright."

Grayskull nodded in understanding. "Don't blame yourself. Skeletor's been wearing both of you out. Randor's not taking my advice either. I was king for ten years, I know the ideas I'm giving him worked once. Why is he being so stubborn?" He answered. Duncan and Grayskull exchanged a short glance as Duncan gathering the supplies they'd need for the three hour trip. Duncan then filled in his oldest friend on the condition of his only son. Grayskull's chin rose slightly, "I should have known. He's my son, my flesh and blood. I should have been there! Yet he didn't call for help AGAIN." He paused, and looked into his eyes, "Do you think it's the same thing that almost killed me?"

He sighed, "Yes. He said the jewel seemed familiar, but he doesn't know how. I would have sen-"

"It's alright. Veena told me what happened. Why didn't he call for help I could have been there and possibly prevented it?"

"You have other things going on than just Skeletor this time." Duncan reminded him. While he had been given this information in confidence, his father had the right to know. But after a life time of friendship, he knew he wasn't going to like it. "The truth is Randor ordered him not to call for help, which includes you, and his sister. Accusations have been made against her. The masters will find themselves in the prison minds if they're found helping Etheria."

"What?! Why didn't I know this?" Grayskull exclaimed "Surely, Shyara would have told me."

Man-at-Arms swallowed hard. Hiding this from his best friend was the hardest thing he'd ever done. "She would have, if Randor hadn't made her swear not to. He-Man told me, in convenience and he's certain the same thing was done during the private meeting with Shyara. Even he wasn't allowed to attend, even with his sister's insistence. He-Man believes she was told something different but he was but he's not sure what it is, even if he is it would be contained in a private letter, and I'm not about to go searching for it. He didn't want to give you anything else to worry about. I only told you because I don't agree keeping this from you was a good idea. Yes, you will worry, but that's your job as his father. Teela's worried about Adam more than anything. I don't like it anymore than you do old friend. He's never done it to them before, if they needed to speak with him, they've both been there at the same time rather than having him repeat the same thing twice." Duncan argued gently. His eyes sought to reassure the former king, but it wasn't easy.

Grayskull nodded in understanding. "I know. Right now, it's He-Man I'm worried about. He's stubborn. He's so much like me, it's incredible. He'll make it, he has too! But you're right we have to get her. She's the only other person who could provide the balance between good and evil, at least for awhile."Grayskull swallowed hard and looked over at his old friend, "Duncan, be honest with me. I wasn't this stubborn?"

As his adviser he would tell him the truth. He no longer had the position but nothing would change. "Stubborn wouldn't be the word I'd use. Heavy thinker would be more appropriate for you. It made you a very good king. Randor is closed off when he's fighting with his emotions. You've always known how to deal with them, hide them if necessary. Come to me if you needed a sounding board. And when your children came to you, you always stopped to listen, making recommendations, but let them use their own judgements. When they couldn't go to you for one reason or another they came to me, and I kept it from you, unless it was critical. As far as I remember, nothing they've told me would be applicable now, so there's no reason I'd need to share it. Randor didn't. But right now we've to worry about your son."

"I know. If he doesn't talk to me, his best friends since we were boys, who will he talk to? You're his chief adviser aren't you?" Duncan nodded, "I know he won't go to Marlena. She's had some very good ideas yet he dismisses them just as he does mine." Duncan shrugged. "I was out for five days. He doesn't have time to stay out that long. I can't be in two places at once. We need more help than we have."

"I know." Duncan agreed. "The Sorceress is on the scouting mission."

"Right, it must have slipped my mind. Veena tried to remind me but I've been preoccupied by the conferences. If Lana's gone, Veena's by herself. She'll handle it. She's had to, she married me."

"Wait if the Sorceress- my mother isn't there, how can we help He-Man? Isn't Skeletor's gift poison of some kind?" Teela questioned. She closed her eyes, "I know you're He-Man's father, but as far as I know he doesn't have healing powers. That falls to She-Ra since they're powers are inherited right?"

Grayskull sensed the question was asked out of concern, "Skeletor's particular gift allows him to draw his power from studying the dark arts. I've very little experience with him Teela." He explained. "In many cases yes, healing powers of the magnitude is inherited from Mother to daughter. There are healing spells for those who have enough training. I've studied magic. If there is any other person who can help him, it's my wife. But we have to move! There's little time."

Duncan looked into his old friends eyes, as if he was reading his thoughts. "Don't ask questions, go! We don't have much time, he needs more help than even I can provide. We need to get to Greyskull." He swallowed pushing back the nightmare.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Between the three of them, King Grayskull, Duncan, and Teela managed to get He-Man into the wind raider, the fastest vehicle Duncan invented. With Battle Cat's exhaustion Duncan felt it best to let the mighty cat rest but knew he wouldn't leave his side, he never did when he knew he was hurt and needed him. Battle Cat sat to He-Man's left, in his own special compartment, Grayskull and Duncan took the controls and passengers side in the front. Teela sat in the back, He-Man's head on her lap, a rolled up towel under his neck to prevent cramping. She stroked his hair away from his face tenderly, and then pressed a cold compress to his forehead. She refused to leave his side. Her mind wandered even as she turned the compress over and patted his face gently. She was shaking from head to toe now, whether from the trauma of the entire ordeal, the fear she'd felt for him, she couldn't tell. Her conversation with the Sorceress drifted through her mind.

_"If Skeletor, or any of He-Man's enemies, were to find out anything about him at all, they could use it against him. His family, his friends, his home all of them become targets. That is the only reason why Prince Adam didn't say anything before, he loves you so much. He wants to do whatever he can to protect you. The Sorceress was right; He-Man and Adam were the same at the core even though they were two different people, of the different ages, one of which was her fiancé, the other was the real protector of Greyskull who had half the power, Adam had the other half and when merged together they became powerful. If Skeletor was to find out, things could get major time dangerous, so for now she had to falsify information, it's not a lie, Adam once told her, it's more of an embellishment of truth. How could I have been so stupid, not to see who he really was?' _

There were reasons she supposed but she felt it was unfair, especially for him._''He-Man could never marry. He wouldn't be able to keep his wife and children a secret; they would be endangered because of who he was. Everyone knew she was going to be married to Adam- the prince, not to Eternia's protector. Adam's parents, don't care to listen to what ADAM wants, they don't even know they're the same person- sort of. They are, when they combined their powers, which is most of the time. I've always considered them to be different anyways.'_ She then looked over at the still form. ''_How could something so small hurt someone so powerful? He takes time to care for others, yet he has almost no one to do it for him, not that he would let them if he did. If his- Adam's parents knew his secret I have no idea what might happen. Would they be just as shocked as I was? Would they understand? More importantly would Adam be alright when this is over?''_

He-Man moaned. Fire encompassed his entire body as if someone had replaced his marrow with lava. There was a roar in his ears was painful, but he couldn't open his eyes. A soft voice spoke to him. He tried to focus on it, but it was hard through the haze of heat, the ache throughout his body and the sharp pains that seemed to be stabbing him. Teela talked soothingly to him shifting her legs, which were starting to fall asleep from his weight but this was better than leaving him. "Father, he's getting worse. I don't know what else to do." Teela reported, dabbing his forehead

"I've got the raider going on max speed. It would go faster if we didn't have a full load but I understand why you did not want to leave him. You're going by the military code, 'I will not leave a fellow solider behind.' While he's not in the military anymore Teela, he'd do it to you. And he has, several times. Keep doing what you've been doing; I can't do anything while I'm driving. We're almost there. Just hang on. He'll be alright until we get there... I hope." Came the annoyed reply. It seemed even with the vehicle at full throttle, they were only going at a snail's pace. It not meant for high speed, emergency travel but they needed to get there as soon as possible and to Duncan that was not fast enough.

"Maybe I can at least stabilize him." Grayskull suggested from the front passengers seat. He reached and laid a hand on his son's forehead, expelling what healing powers he could using an ancient language Teela had never heard. It was a matter of minutes before he released his hand, when he did he smiled at a surprised Teela, _'If I can remember this spell that is.'_Grayskull thought. He placed his hand on his sons shoulder and started the incantation.

"How'd you do that?" Teela asked as the light died down." That language, sounds like Eternian, a version, I've never heard before, but that's just a guess." She asked laying a fresh compress on He-Man's forehead.

"Very carefully. I studied magic, long before I became king. That's where I met my wife. Your father was still in university. But you're right on the language. It's Eternian, an old version, one of the many healing spells I learned when I was studying magic. It'll help him, but I can't translate it on the top of my head. I wouldn't do anything to hurt anyone. Especially family. I'd better contact Veena, just to warn her. She's not going to like this." Duncan nodded keeping his eyes on the controls, ignoring his daughter's questions as Grayskull closed his eyes, reaching out through a telepathic link to his wife. It only took a minute before he reopened his eyes, "Why am I not surprised? She knew. She seems to have the same fears as I do."

"Because she seems to keep one step of everyone else." Duncan said. "Always has."

"Wait, you were a King? Is that how you know my father?"

"Yes, I was, for ten years but not the way Adam will be when he takes the throne from his father. He is royal by blood. As far as I know, there is no royal blood in my family. My parents were killed by Hordak's brother, Horde Prime. I was their only child and unlike King Randor, I wasn't expected to take the throne when I came to age. The current king at the time wasn't able to have children, meaning he had no heir. When he died, the leader of the Council of Elders said we need to vote so the royal line wouldn't be diminished. For some reason, they picked me. I held the position for ten years. Your father is not only my best friend, we've known each other since we were like seven, he was my adviser until Hordak caused havoc and destroyed my kingdom. This in the history books would be known as the Horde Wars. But by the time my son and daughter came to the age of maturity- eighteen, they couldn't take my place for several reasons. There wasn't a kingdom to rule thanks to Hordak. Hordak caught us off guard. As soon as it was clear I had died, they inherited the power I left for them, however it was only half of their full power. In order to take the other half they needed help. As you may recall your father was speechless because he was there. He saw me go down. Even though there was nothing for him to do since both my children were out of school he opted to stick around. King Randor had just taken the throne and got married at this time. He was planning on going to work for King Randor, but Hordak changed that. "

"I think that's the first time I've seen him cry in a very long time. You weren't in very good shape as I recall, but I was still trying to figure out how it was possible."

"Everyone has parents Teela, even Eternia's champions. He's not exactly the sort of person who will admit that to just anyone though. I'm also Prince Adam's godfather. I'm sure you've seen me before." Grayskull's words were cut as his son's condition worsened. Sporadic spasms gripped his muscles. She looked around and saw that they were near Greyskull. _'Thank the Elders. Just hang on, we're almost there. Just over the ridge.''_

With a quick press of a button Grayskull took over the controls. "I've got this. You'd better let the Sorceress know. I don't have the same telepathic link you do. I only have it with my wife. You've always been the one to reach out to Lana."

_''Man-at-Arms, what is going on? Why do I sense pain?''_ _the Sorceress demanded before Duncan could reply._

Duncan closed his eyes, concentrating on the Sorceress' voice, opening his mind to allow the telepathic connection, _''He-Man was hit with a ray from some sort of jewel. To prevent it from damaging Castle Greyskull or weakening its defences he let it hit him. Once he was weakened Skeletor weakened him even more with his special gifts. Once he was gone he felt that I would be a better help than his mother would be and by the time he got to me, he was in bad shape. We're on route now. I've done all I can from my end, we're hoping Veena can help, but if the source of the injuries is what I think it is, we're going to need more than her powers to fix it. We might need Greyskull's power too.''_

_''I'm on my way to Greyskull now,'__'_ _the Sorceress returned. ''__But I fear it'll take me awhile to get there; I'm over the sands of time, about two hours away. Veena will have to help him on her own until I get there. Remember Duncan, the jewel's power grows weaker after every use. If his injuries are as severe as you say she may need to draw from the castle's power to strengthen her own. She has the power to handle it. She has done it before.'' __she reminded him._

Duncan nodded, swallowing heavily. '' There's nothing you can do for him until you get here. Veena has stabilized him for the time being.' He reminded her.

_'__'Even Veena can't control Grayskull's magic alone, she'll need my help. I don't think I have to remind you what happened to her the last time she tried that. She almost died. Grayskull's her husband, she would do everything in her powers to save him, just as she will for their son.''_The Sorceress flew as hard as she could back to Grayskull, using the little magic available as Zoar to help speed her trip, ignoring the beautiful landscape below her. Duncan was right, she could do nothing until she was back at Grayskull, but even so she had to hurry.

By the time Duncan opened his eyes, the castle was in view, where Veena; Grayskull's wife met them, "When you said he was hurt, you weren't kidding. When he left so suddenly I thought he was okay, but obviously he wasn't. From what you described it could be-" Veena started but the words caught with in the back of her throat.

He nodded. Knowing Teela knew Eternia's history as well as he did he knew it was better not to tell her what they were talking about, at least for now. "If he got THAT from Hordak, we're in deep trouble. You know what it did to me, if it was at full strength; it could do worse to He-Man, especially if he was weakening prior to getting hit." Grayskull looked into his wife's eyes. In the years they had been married he gradually found the ability to sense her thoughts, and this was one of those times, "This wasn't your fault Veena! I should have been here. I don't regret volunteering for the job. Randor came to me for advice. I can't turn my back on a friend. He-Man didn't want to worry you; he dragged himself to the palace."

"I never said you would. That's what made you such a good King. You looked out for other village even if your own needed you just as much. He-Man was closest to Greyskull and my magic wasn't doing much against Skeletor. Now what happened? I was protecting the castle. He-Man knew if Skeletor was able to hit Greyskull it would of lower the castles or my defences, hurting me in the process. It took to a lot of power to encase that witch queen of his in a force field, in fact drained me of my strength. It hurt him, but he didn't come to me to get help. It's not like he could when Skeletor was still out there."

Grayskull looked into his wife's eyes, "But you're okay now?" He questioned.

"Yes, I was only drained for a minute. We have more pressing matters than just me."

He knew of only one thing that could drain as much power as his wife possessed. His wife nodded. She knew better to keep something of this nature from her husband, even if she knew he'd worry; he always did when it came to her magic, "You're not going to be able to help him if you're weakened. When I finally arrived at Duncan's lab literally fell into my arms. We stabilized him- well Duncan stabilized him, loaded him into the Wind Raider and brought him here. Will your powers be able to help him?"

She swallowed hard, as if she was flashing back, to a time where her husband was in such state, just as Duncan was. Shaking off the memory Veena looked into her husband's eyes, ignoring his last statement, knowing all too well he knew the answer even if he didn't like it. "His injuries are too serious to wait any longer." She argued watching her husband with the corner of her eye.

"If it's THAT weapon Veena, it's why you're powers were weakened. It weakens everything around it. Please be careful! I don't have the ability to do it and you know it."

Duncan turned to his daughter, "Stay here." He ordered. From his tone Teela knew he was serious, and nobody messed with her father when he was serious.

In a small hidden hallway He-Man was taken to a small room a room none of them had ever seen before; one sparsely decorated and clearly not lived in and settled on a bed. Veena laid a gentle hand on her son's shoulder, and a warm white light began to glow around the two of them, slowly encasing his entire body. The others gathered waited anxiously. After ten minutes, however, the light disappeared, and Veena collapsed into her husband's arms. He set her down in a chair,_'What is it?"_

_"This magic is not of Eternia, it is very powerful."_ _she said at last. "__I've felt this magic before..."_

Grayskull looked into his wife's eyes, it was only the years of marriage which allowed him to sense her thoughts which she tried so hard to protect from invaders, 'It's the jewel isn't it.'

_''Yes. And the only way I know of to help him is what I had to do for you. I have to use Greyskull's magic, combined with my own. He's too weak to go unaided for much longer. I have to act now! There isn't time to argue about this.'__'_ _This was one of her husband's worst fears. Using her own magic took years of training, but combining it with something as powerful as Castle Greyskull's magic, without another sorceress to aide her, was a death sentence. _

This time, it was Veena's turn to be the mind reader. _"You may not like it but it's the same jewel that hurt you years ago. I almost lost you once; I'm not going to lose our son. Weaken or not it's dangerous. I HAVE to help him. If there was another way to save his life I'd do it, but there's isn't. I did it to you once; I can do it, again. Downstairs."_

Teela, who had been waiting outside, joined her father "Where are you going?! I'm not leaving him!"

Duncan watched as Teela stood up intending to follow. "Teela, I know how you feel, but in order to help him we need to get him to a place very few know even exist. If any evil villain gets a hold of it, Eternia will be jeopardy. We WILL help him. Keep an eye on things and wait for your mother. You know where the library is, the second door on the right. Don't go wondering around or try to follow me. It's too dangerous. There are certain secrets about this place very few people know, I'm one of them." He instructed. "I'll back soon."

"You have to trust me Teela." Grayskull said. "He'll be alright."

Teela had no choice but to comply. When her father gave an order, you better follow it or there was hell to pay. "Alright. I'll stay. But that doesn't mean I like it!" Teela blew out a deep breath. '_Adam. He's Adam,' she_ reminded herself. She raised her now-shaking hands and smoothed her already-perfectly-in-place hair.

'You know the guy you grew up with. The one destined to be king. The guy you said you'd never date yet you're going to be married in just over six months.'

Duncan looked into his daughter's eyes, "Teela, I know you want to stay, but your mother is going to need someone to tell her what's going on. I'm needed downstairs. He'll be alright. Think positive."

"Yes Father, I understand. I'll be here, don't worry."

He kissed her on the forehead, squeezing his daughter's hand reassuringly, "I know you love him Teela. Please try to understand. I have to go. I'll update you as soon as I can."She nodded watching her father hurry down the many corridors of Greyskull and disappears into the depths of the castle.

Veena led the way to the healing chamber deep in the heart of the castle. Once inside a little used room, she had Duncan and her husband place He-Man on the stone bed. Grayskull fought back the memory from the last time he was here. He knew the extent of his wife's power, but he also knew what it did to her. It was one of the reasons he rarely used his own magical abilities. The cramped, room was not big enough for all of them, so he and Duncan watched helplessly from the threshold. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he felt the energy his wife was summoning. This was going to take a lot out of her, but she would do anything to save their children, just as she had done for him years before. He glanced at Duncan, but his face was inscrutable, giving no clue to what was going through his mind. He had learned how to guard his thoughts too well. But in the years of friendship Grayskull could also read emotions. And what he read from Duncan was fear. He-Man wasn't his son, but he watched him grow up.

As she splayed her hands over He-Man and called forth her healing powers, in addition to the castles powers, she'd need all the power she could get for this task. A golden glow surrounded Veena and then enveloped her son's still form. Her eyes flashed gold as she called up the enormous amounts of energy needed. The change wasn't noticeable at first, but finally, after what seemed entirely too long, the colour gradually returned to He-Man's face and his breathing came much easier. It lasted for several more moments before the golden glow dissipated and Veena looked drained, her eyes still shimmering. Grayskull stepped forward in concern, but she shook her head waving him back, as she did, he started to pace only making her job a lot harder. Once her eyes returned to normal she watched her husband pace, and when he was close enough he placed a hand on his shoulder, "I feel your concern Grayskull. This takes a lot of concentration, you're not helping."

He bit the inside of his lip as he watched his wife pull additional power from the castles secrets soothing the burns, wiping away all injury healing any internal injury. It seemed like a life time before she came spoke again. The shimmering golden colour drained from her eyes, as her daughter watched, leaving them back to their normal, intense green.

"I've done all I can. I can do more, when Lana gets here. Teela must be pacing by now. I know how she feels, but I'm married to you. I somehow doubt I was any better while I was waiting for you to wake up, the longest twenty four hours of my life. "I know how she feels, more than you know."

Grayskull sighed in relief. "What do you say we go back upstairs?"

Duncan insisted Battle Cat carry He-Man to his room. Once Teela saw her father, her eyes met with his. He nodded, telling her without words she could follow them now. She followed the small, silent party upstairs. Without being asked to Grayskull placed He-Man on the bed. After being married to her for as long as he had he knew what she was planning. His injuries were far from gone, but he was stabilized and he prayed the Sorceress would arrive soon so she'd have some help.

"Don't do anything right now huh?" Grayskull pleaded, "I can't. I won't let you do this alone, not again. Especially when I'm not here. If he isn't going to be available I've got to get Shyara."

"Yes." She then looked into her husband's eyes, "I may have no other choice. I have to get him stabilized. What if Skeletor attacks when you're not here? I don't know enough about him to protect the castle. Lana's scouting remember? When we planned this we had no idea how long it would take. Nor did we ever realize this would happen."

Duncan placed a gentle hand on Grayskull's shoulder, "I'll stay with her. Skeletor weakened him using his 'particular gift' that's why the medication didn't work. He collapsed because the poison was over taking his system. I'll tell the king, but he may not like it. I'm going to be Adam's father-in-law within the next six to eight months; I know how hard this must be for you."

"I don't like it either Duncan. I should have been here! Right now isn't the time for me to let my emotions get in the way." Grayskull replied. "Right now, I have to focus."

"You're entitled to feel this way. You're a father. It comes with the job. We have no choice but to go to Etheria to get She-Ra. She's his sister and the only one who can keep things going until He-Man is well enough to do it himself. You're the better person to tell her."

"I know. I don't like it. I'm an overly worried Father. But even though I'm not related to him, Adam's like a son to me. He may not be in any danger Duncan, but I worry about the prince just as much as you do." Grayskull reminded him. "He's my Godson. I'm supposed to protect him, but I disappeared when he was just a boy. I still have no idea how he had the memory of me he had."

Knowing he could take freely within the walls of Castle Greyskull Duncan nodded, "I know. We kept your memory alive. Pictures, stories. It's one of the things Randor and I agreed upon. He was devastated when I told him what happened. Somehow I knew there was a chance you had been taken prisoner." Duncan said, returning his attention to the task at hand. "I always knew there was a possibility he could get hurt, but I never expected history to repeat itself. Skeletor knew what he was doing. But seeing him collapse brought back all the nightmares and flashbacks. I never thought I'd have to go through it again."

Grayskull sighed, "You and I both my friend. When Veena told me what happened, I knew had to leave regardless of King Randor's protests. You were there, both times. But we also have another to worry about, Prince Adam. Having him 'help you' will make his father angrier at him than he already is. He's not ready to hear anymore excuses therefore he's not ready to hear the truth."

Duncan nodded, making a mental note to think of a reason for his prolonged absence. That wasn't going to be easy considering King Randor never believed the reasons he used. "Yes, you're right about that. He has been planning a camping trip for some time, but he came with me to make sure that Castle Greyskull is secured. For the moment, I'm his temporary bodyguard."

"Good point. Will he believe it?" Grayskull asked.

Duncan shrugged, "Let's hope so. He won't be able to release the power until he's well enough."

"Yes, that's right. When I found out he had taken the second half of the power I wished I could have there to see him through it, but I wasn't. You were there when I couldn't be, not only as a friend, but as a mentor. And though you won't admit it you gave me guidance too, and a lifetime of friendship. I wouldn't have been the king I was without your guidance."

Duncan smiled, "I wouldn't have it any other way. It was an unexpected request, but I wasn't about to let you down. Again."

"You have never let me down. Not once. Hordak knew what he was doing. Not once have I blamed you." Grayskull nodded, as he continued to pace. "I'm not King anymore. I don't want to be again, unless there's no other choice. I'm a father- his father, even though not many people know. In many ways that's the hardest job I've ever had, Skeletor certainly doesn't make it any easier. That jewel was a dangerous once. I never dreamed I'd have to see one of my children get hit with it. I pray He-Man was able to get rid of it. If he didn't-"

"He destroyed it seconds after Skeletor fled." Veena interrupted looking into her husband's eyes stopping him in his tracks, mid pace, "I know you're trying to help Grayskull, but please you're pacing isn't helping. Duncan has everything covered here. Go get your daughter. We need her. He's going to be out a few days, and even you can't be in two places at once."

Grayskull looked into his wife's eyes, he sighed. "Alright, I'm outnumbered. I don't feel like losing an argument, with the most stubborn people I know. I'll go. I'll be back as fast as I can."

Duncan laughed, "I take that as a compliment."

Veena rolled her eyes and mumbled under her breath. "I think he was talking about me Duncan, although he has known you longer." Veena said. '_Once upon a time I thought I married the most stubborn man on Eternia, yet I find his best friend is just as bad. However they are two of a kind. I don't think anything would be different if he had proposed and got married as planned. He's loved Lana since she was my student.'_

He-Man reached his hand for his. Grayskull grasped it smiling. Some of the weight had been lifted. He moved a piece of hair out of his face, "You're going to need time off. I can't always be here. Not until the conferences are over anyways. I've to get your sister, tell her what's going on."

"The king ordered me not to contact her, but I need her, more than ever." He said falling back unconscious.

"I know that and you know that, why won't the king understand that?" Grayskull laid a hand on his son's forehead, expelling what powers he could to help stabilize him. "You let me worry about the king for now okay. You need your sister. King Randor can't expect her to sit back and do nothing when you're seriously injured. She won't. Neither will I." His father reassured him. He stood back watching as his wife placed a hand on of her own on his forehead. Healing him the way she was took a lot out of her, but there was nothing he could do to help.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

On the planet of Etheria a new day was dawning. Etheria had been beautiful once. There was a time when the people lived in perfect harmony with everything around them. A time when a man could travel the streets without fear. But that was long ago. Before the Horde. Travelling to other worlds from their homeland of Horde world. The Evil Horde had ensnared countless planets in the name of their leader Horde Prime; a powerful dark being whom precious few had seen and lived. The Horde ruled Etheria for many years under the command of a high-ranking Horde officer known as Hordak. Although small uprisings were common, the Horde had managed to crush them all. That is, until the unexpected arrival of one woman who managed to turn a small group of freedom fighters into a true "Great Rebellion" While their fight seemed like an endless struggle for freedom they did what they could to enjoy the peaceful moments, which were sadly scarcely few. Most lived in a camp in a forest called The Whispering Woods. Only very few non-members knew where the hidden entrance was. King Grayskull was one of the few people who did, but few people knew he was She-Ra's father.

Grayskull stepped through the portal to Etheria and had to shield his eyes from the blinding sun. It took a minute for his eyes to adjust to allow him to look around and see he was in a village of some sorts. 'Okay _now that I know where I am I can find her_ _really easy. Or so I hope.'_

The world beyond was breathtaking. Whereas Eternia was colourful in earthen tones, this planet was vibrant with blues and purples. There were flashes of pink and yellow as well, all of it near blinding in its intensity. The sky was also bluer than anything Grayskull had ever seen, and he'd been on many other worlds. Overall the area where the gate had dumped him seemed to be safe and comforting, but Grayskull knew things could change in an instant and he shouldn't let his guard down.

By the time King Grayskull entered the hidden entrance to the Whispering Woods and the main camp to the rebellion, he noticed that The Great Rebellion looked larger than it was the last time he visited. Days started early for the rebellion, and even though he had left his home planet during early evening, it was early the next morning on Etheria, thanks to the planetary time difference. There were always things to do. Meals to prepare, animals to tend too, uniforms and clothing to mend, herbs to grind into poultices for wounds, a chore he remembered teaching to his daughter when she was no more than seven. Unlike his previous visits, the great rebellion seemed as if it double in size. There were more tents, and numerous people were walking around happily, enjoying their rustic livings, while sharpening their swords and axes or making arrows. He scanned the area for the one he had travelled so far to find and suddenly he was welcomed with open arms by an old friend.

"What a pleasant surprise." King Micah said to his oldest and dearest friend, shaking his hand tightly, "You're not here to beat me at chess again are you?" He frowned seeing the exhaustion in his eyes, "On second thought, this isn't a social visit. You have 'the look', and it usually means some there's sort of trouble brewing on your home world. What can I do to help?"

King Grayskull sighed as he clasped his oldest friend on the arm, and shook his head sadly, "While I'd love to, I'm not here on a social visit I'm afraid. I'm here on a mission. Next time I promise."

Micah nodded waiting for him to continue. As a king, he knew how to read people, and as a former king himself Grayskull knew how to hide his emotions. But they were both father's and Micah knew exactly what had happened.

"It's your son isn't it? If it wasn't, he'd be here with you. What can I do?"

"I'm afraid so. You wouldn't by chance know where Shy-" He paused, knowing his daughter's birth name wasn't commonly used, even if Micah knew it. "She-Ra, is would you? We could use her help."

Before the King of Etheria could reply She-Ra came out of the conference tent surprised to see her father among those members of the rebellion, who were doing the morning chores, "Did I hear someone say my name? Micah is there a prob-" She paused her eyes travelling to the mirror image of her brother.

On first glance they looked the same, but from behind, they looked different. Her own hair it was a sandy blond colour similar to her brother's, hers was a true blond reached the middle of her back, tied into a braid. Her father's, while a little shorter than hers was, tied into two long pony tails bound with tight leather strands. Her brothers, was the same shade of blond as her fathers, he kept it short, reaching just beyond his ears. It was the only way she could tell the difference.

"Father? What are you doing here? This is a very, unexpected surprise. Had I known you were coming, I would have met you at the usual spot."

Her father smiled and pulled her into a tight hug, the kind of hug her brother had always given her the rare times it was safe to do so. "This isn't a social call I'm afraid." He explained holding her for a moment longer before releasing, "He-Man told me you're not the easiest person to find. Yet you find me."

"I'm not. Usually my brother knows where to find me, thanks to Mother or the Sorceress. Every time my name is called like that I automatically think its trouble. You caught me at a good time. I finished my chores early today and since it's been quiet I've been doing jobs at camp. I even participated in the meeting today. What's going on? Where's He-Man? He never misses a surprise visit. Especially when it involves seeing me. The only time we tend to see each other is when one of us needs the others help. Or if he comes for a surprise visit which he has, a few times. His timing couldn't have been better." She-Ra looked over at King Micah.

The King of Etheria shook his head, "I don't know. All I know is there is a problem and it involves your brother. If it didn't, he'd be here with him. If there is one thing I know about that brother of yours in the short time I've known him, he'd never miss an opportunity to come visit you, ban or not. Use the tent it's a lot more private then the clearing. This is family business and while I have known your father since he before he became King and negotiated the terms of the treaty, between Eternia and Etheria I'll wait till you update me. I'll make sure you have privacy to talk." He paused, "I'm really not surprised he came in person. If something's wrong there's really no way to get a hold of you, thanks to King Randor."

He didn't know how much his daughter had told her friends, but he needed to tell him something. "The King of Eternia isn't acting like himself; he hasn't been for some time. He's made certain accusations against my daughter and son, and has ordered nobody to help them. This is one of the few times I'm sort of glad I was king for ten years. I know he can't do that." Grayskull explained.

She-Ra smiled, "Well whether King Randor likes it or not, Adora had to go with me. I'm here legal guardian, according to Eternian Law. But I've got no choice. My brother needs me. I can feel him. It explains why I zoned out. Sorry Micah."

"There isn't any reason to apologise. Everyone is entitled to zone out once and awhile, even you. But you had no idea what was going on until you realized your father had come to get you." Micah placed a gentle hand on her shoulder being one of the few people who knew her secret. "Even as her father he should have at least tried to understand her reasoning. You'd better figure out what's going on. You can update me after. Something must be wrong; I haven't seen him this tense since his wedding day. He's the most held together person I know besides Angella."

"It must be pretty serious if he came to find me in person." She then turned to Micah, "Thank you your majesty. I'll do that."

She-Ra led her father down a path until they got to two large tents. One was the infirmary, which held medical supplies and beds for when people were injured and needed recovery; the other was the conference tent. Once she pulled open the heavy tarp allowing her father to enter first, warning him about the low ceiling. Once he was inside, she scanned the area for unwanted ears and followed him inside.

After settling themselves in the large, empty conference tent, She-Ra looked into her father's eyes. "I've a feeling this is not a social visit. If it was He-Man would be with you, and you would have let me know you were coming, so I could have met you at the usual spot. Plus you wouldn't look as if you're going to fall asleep on your feet. What's going on Father? You wouldn't have come here in a panic, even though you were trying very hard to hide it. I haven't seen you so- panicked since I found out about Hordak. I'm not nine years old anymore. I can handle the truth now, I think."

Grayskull sighed, "It seems you know me a lot better than I thought." She smiled waiting for her father to answer her question, "It's not a social visit I'm afraid. Your brother is the reason I'm here. Aside from being dragged into a week's worth of Randor's meetings, Skeletor's evil tricks mostly. He-Man was hurt. Severally hurt. Your mother is everything she can. Duncan contacted Lana, but it's going to take awhile for her to get back. He told me to make sure you knew that he was alright, but in truth he's not. "He then retold the story as he heard from his wife and best friend.

He paused for several minutes so he could give her time to adjust to what he had just told her. It was only after she gave him a brief nod he continued. "What hit him was no ordinary stone Shyara." Her father admitted as he closed his tale. While she was so used to having everyone call her She-Ra, it was very rare her father used her birth name, but they were in semi privacy, "It was the same jewel that hit me. The jewel of Elba, it means death in Eternian. I don't know how much you were told about it, but He-Man only knows about it because he followed me, even if I had told him not to. But if it hadn't been there, I would not have made it. In addition to the jewel sending him in a dreamlike state, Skeletor used his magic burnt him; the poison weakened him giving Skeletor the advantage."

Her face went white as a sheet; her worst fear had come true. "As far as he knew the jewel was thrown into the abyss. I watched my brother do that shortly after he came out to tell me what happened. He was so angry at himself for letting it happen, he didn't know what else to do with it. Where did Bone brain get it? Even if Hordak got a hold of it they hate each other with a passion, unless of course they joined forces again. This would mean they're up to something big. They may be tag teaming their attack, especially since Skeletor knows He-Man's not a threat for the moment. He'll certainly be surprised when he sees me. But I admit I could use a little more experience before I'm comfortable fighting him alone. He-Man once told me not to take him on without him."

"I was only hit once. I was out of commission for five days. Your brother was hit twice. If Battle Cat hadn't ran as fast as he did, I don't want to know what would have happened. We need your help if you can. I realize you have responsibilities here but-"

"Null and void when it comes to my family. King Randor has banned me from coming there, and He-Man coming to me. I have no choice. I almost lost my father because of that weapon; I'm NOT going to lose my brother too. The Rebellion can get along without me for a few days. It certainly seems like you two could use my help whether King Randor likes it or not."

Her father smiled but swallowed hard. "I know. And I want you to know that I don't agree with King Randor. He may not have liked that fact you were leaving, but you didn't abandon anyone. I wouldn't have asked if it wasn't an emergency. I can't be in two places at once, especially now that I'm sitting in on the conferences in Eternos. I didn't get there in time. I don't want that to happen again. I can't. Not again."

"Luckily for me, Hordak's been quiet. Hopefully it will be long enough so I can give you an extra pair of hands, for at least a few days, giving him enough time to recover, so I can return before Hordak does anything the rebellion can't handle without me. It's about time I tested them though."

She looked into her father's eyes, seeing nothing, but exhaustion. "I wish I knew about this sooner, all the communications have been blocked to and from Eternia. It scares me, not being able to contact you whenever I need to…"

"Castle Greyskull has its own communications system, even King Randor doesn't know about that. Duncan has his own personal communication system, with special security clearance. Plus you and your brother have your own personal communicator Duncan created for you before you left for Etheria. He had no idea I was alive. If he did, I'm sure he would have made one for me too. He's had no time. He's been sitting in on King Randor's conferences with me since they started. I just came to get you in person because I was driving your mother crazy. I was pacing, and that wasn't helping your mother help your brother. I know the spell she was using but I haven't used it myself for years, nor have I ever bonded with the power of the ancients. It's not like I could do anything to help him anyways. Other than what I did do. I stabilized him on route, which is when Teela started questioning me"

She looked at her arm band, and realized it held a personalized communicator she shared with her brother. "How on Eternia did I forget about that? You should be able to have access though." She-Ra replied exiting the tent, shielding their eyes from the blinding sun.

"I think you have other things to worry about. He made it for you, and your brother. Besides I'm pretty sure Duncan has more things on his mind, then a personal communicator. His daughter is getting married in six months. I don't think he's had time to make me one. In fact I know he hasn't had time. Until recently he's been stuck in the conferences with me. Besides, I've Castle Greyskull com system remember? You might want to grab a few things just in case your home longer than a few days. I know you have stuff at home but still." Her father suggested following her out of the tent, only to be blinded by the bright Etherian sun for the second time. "After all the times I've been here I should be used to the blinding sun. I was blinded when I stepped out of the portal; I'm almost blinded again stepping out of a tent."

"Funny, that's what He-Man said too. As I recall he even woke up before me to make me breakfast. You just haven't been here enough. It's much darker in the tent thanks to the shades, which is why you are blinded. It took me a long time to automatically shield my eyes. The time difference doesn't make things any easier." She-Ra agreed. "I'd better give Micah the update otherwise he's libel to wear down the sod we just put down. He's more worried about Eternia than I am." Grayskull smirked but didn't reply.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

In the main camp She-Ra told the rest of the leaders including King Micah that she was needed at home due to a family emergency. She didn't want to worry those members present that were her brother's friends nor did she know how badly the injuries were until she saw her brother herself. She then left her father with Micah while she raced to her tent to grab some personal items and was back in time to see Casta who was supposed to be heading back to her kingdom today. "I understand your heading home?"

She nodded, "There's a family emergency. I'd give you more information but that would take a lengthy explanation. All I know is I've been feeling him all morning. It's as if he's calling out to me."

Casta understood her friend didn't have an answer, but she did, "It's possible. Empathy is a strange thing, everyone handles it differently. You have it stronger than most. Even my brother and I don't have the ability to feel the other. It's inherited. Your mother is one of the most powerful sorceress' I know. Your father may not use his own magic anymore, but when he did, he was very powerful. Especially with the additional training your mother provided him. No one could have survived being prisoner of Hordak as long as he did without some sort of magical training; or at least the know how to block mind taps. I know how to contact you if we do need you. Your family comes first. We both know the sort of sacrifice you made to come here. You didn't have to, but you did."

Micah, Angella's husband nodded in agreement. "I've known your father for years, since before he got married. He wouldn't come and get you, without planning it ahead, unless it was an emergency. We'll get along without you. I'll let Angella know. She's scheduled to be back anytime. But time is of the essence."

Casta nodded, "I've only met your father briefly. And I know your reasoning for not telling anyone but certain people about your parents, but had I not stopped and looked again I'd mistaken you for He-Man. I've been lucky so far. I'm not usually here when She-Ra needs him. I do know that he would not come to get you unless it was emergency."

Grayskull smiled, "Not to worry, I get that a lot. There's only been one time I've come along when He-Man came to help his sister, planned as a visit gone wrong. Veena talks about you nonstop, your majesty. You were her favourite student. If I hadn't been so consumed with my own thoughts, I would have recognized you sooner. The last time I saw you, you were a final year apprentice. When Veena learned of your villages attack, and the fact you'd been taken prisoner, she was devastated, until she found out you were here.

Casta nodded in agreement, "Hordak scattered my village and we were taken prisoner. My brother and I were separated. Not long ago I found out he was on Eternia. Between the two apprentices she had, I always thought she favoured Lana over me. She finished before I did. She taught me everything I know. Send her my regards. I hope to see her soon."

Grayskull nodded, "She'd enjoy that. It's very rare for her to get into Eternos to see Marlena. Even though it was two years of peace during the time you were her student, she never played favourites, even to me. I may have been an advanced student when I met her, but she did have to go back to the fundamentals, and teach me things like telepathy and how to block mind spells. She would tell you I was a difficult student. You disappeared shortly before I did. It seems things have changed. When I was King, Royalty or not, you had to marry. It wasn't a law, but I found it a lot easier that way. Our children were in school most of that time. To be perfectly honest I don't think I would have been able to rule the way I did for ten years without her guidance and support."

"Yes, they have. From what I remember, neither of you was royal by blood. I am, sort of. When we were scattered, Hordak came after a group of children. Somehow my brother got away, but I was left behind. When we were finally rescued and it was found I had no parents the Queen of Mystocor adopted me. When I came to age, twenty one, I took the oath, however Hordak came after me again, and I was kidnapped. When I was rescued, I found out the Queen had been murdered and there wasn't an heir or so they though. I got the job and have been ruling ever since. There are very similar laws between our two planets. But on Eternia as I remember a child must have a guardian with them until they are twenty one."

She then turned back to She-Ra, "I'd go with you, but I'm needed here. With you gone, we're short a leader. I'm going to extend my visit until someone else can replace me or you come back. I'll call you if there's something we can't handle, I promise. After what you and your brother have done for us, it's high time we do something for you, even if it's time to spend with your parents. I won't tell anyone though. If there's anything I've learned after the years I was your mother's apprentice, its take a break. But I know your reasoning for not telling just anyone. It would put them in more danger then they're already in. Tell Adora not to worry about Kate. She's a good kid. I wasn't ready to go home anyway."

Though She-Ra hated leaving her friends and wouldn't be there unless there was something they couldn't handle without her, she also had a duty to her family. Her brother had once told her he'd be there whenever she needed him, and he had several times, now it was time to return the favour.

"Thanks Casta. I'm sure my mother would tell me the same thing herself. I'm not sure how much of a break I'll get though. I'm going home, but it's not a vacation. I'd let her see her grandparents, but with the way King Randor is acting I don't think that's a very good idea. We don't have time to go to the school."

"Anytime. I'll think of something if she asks about her grandparents. I can't think of anything at the moment, but I'm sure it will come to me." Her friend replied. "It's not the best of circumstances, but your family needs you. And you need them too. It seems to me, you have for awhile. Something's weighing you down; eventually you're not going to be able to handle the weight of the world anymore. You have to tell someone, or the weight will overcome you." She tossed a small, wrapped package to her. As their eyes met she answered the unasked question. "Can you do me a favour? Give this to my brother if you see him. I picked this up for him, planned on sending it, but I found out the mail to Eternos has been restricted. I'd use my own magic, but I don't want to cause a ruckus or get my brother in trouble. If he doesn't find out Mek got it from me, he might find out He-Man got it from you, to give to Mek, and as leader of the masters he'd get in more trouble than anyone."

She-Ra nodded and placed the item in her pack, "Yes. King Randor also said that if he finds out that any of the masters were helping Etheria, they'd find themselves in the prison minds. I still have yet to figure out his reasoning on that order, but I have other things to worry about, like Hordak." Grayskull's eyes widened. "Micah I don't mean to leave like this -"

King Micah cut her off, "No explanation is needed. Your family needs you. You take as much time as you need. You have my consent as King of Etheria. King Randor can't make you ask permission to do your job. You have a family on planet light years away. I know how hard it must have been leaving them. I also know how hard it is to keep his real relationship from certain people, and I will not tell anyone. I know the dangerous it would cause you." He then looked over at her father, "She does more than her fair share to protect Etheria. It's almost as if she knew before you got here. She has been preoccupied today."

Grayskull nodded, "She's rather close to her brother. They were inseparable at times. I'd never thought I'd see the day when my little girl had to win a war on her own, without me there to help. She's been holding more than the planets weight. I'm sure you've heard about the ban King Randor's placed on the two of them." Casta and Micah nodded, "Knowing how dangerous going up against Hordak actually is, He-Man wouldn't let a ban stop him from helping his sister. He would be there anytime she needs him, with or without royal consent. I just hope it doesn't take ten years to free this planet. I can't live without my daughter for that long."

"Desperate time's calls for desperate measures," said Casta as she squeezed her friend's hand comfortingly. "The Rebellion is protected by the Whispering Woods. Eternia has no such protection. They're sitting ducks without…" She paused as she realized who she was with. "I mean I'm sure your father and the masters can handle it for awhile but still. From what my brother has been saying, they need He-Man."

"You have a point Casta. My father doesn't have much experience with old Bone brain." She paused, "What am I saying, neither do I."

Before anyone was able to reply one of the twigits, magical creatures who lived in the Whispering Woods came running. "Madame's coming!" She cried. With that the older witch came flying through the woods causing everyone present to wince.

"Madame are you alright?" Casta asked. The old witch nodded and assured everyone she was fine.

This gave She-Ra the reassurance she needed to journey home with her father. Taking one last look at her friends she shifted her backpack and followed her father into the golden portal.

In the hall of corridors, the door to Etheria opened and within a matter of seconds She-Ra and her father was back in the walls of Castle Greyskull. "Welcome home, She-Ra." said the Sorceress, walking over to the princess of power with Man-At-Arms at her side. She-Ra and her Father exchanged a short glance. Each sensing the others thoughts.

She-Ra  
stepped towards the Sorceress, hugging her like a long lost friend. Although they saw each other more regularly, the Sorceress was always the perfect welcoming for She-Ra, when she visited Eternia. Her soothing presence would ease all of She-Ra's stress. "You don't know how glad I am to see you again." said She-Ra. She turned to Man-At-Arms. "And you too, Duncan." she hugged both of them.

"It's always a pleasure to have you here on Eternia, She-Ra. You've been greatly missed. I wish this was in better circumstances. You know by now your brother was hurt seriously hurt? While your father was off world, I examined the wounds more intensely. You also know what hit your brother almost killed your father years ago?" She nodded, "I did further research. Every time the jewel is used, it weakens. And the time it was lost in the abyss it also lost power from being unused. The jewel wasn't at full power. But it still took the combined power of Greyskull's magic, and it's guardians to stabilize him."

'_Duncan, the Royal Man-at-Arms, started working for my father as his adviser shortly after he had taken the throne. As a child I knew him as Uncle Duncan, but as a guard I know him as Captain Duncan. He and my father are like brothers, always there for each other. He was Father's sounding board, and the one man who dared to tell him when things were going wrong, or, more importantly, who dared to tell Father when he was wrong, fearlessly. After it was said that he 'died' Duncan had no choice but to start working for King Randor in the same role he did for our father. But unlike our father, King Randor has his own way of doing things.' _

"I was afraid of that. It's a good thing my father came to get me when he did. King Randor isn't going to stop me from helping my family when they need it. Eternia would be lost without their help." He smiled but She-Ra's attention was on her mother who had joined them several minutes after they had arrived.

Before She-Ra could reply to his statement she watched her mother stagger and with two easy steps she was able to catch her before she hit the floor. "Easy, I've got you." She said lowering her mother into an overstuffed arm chair. While her healing powers were more powerful than her own it was almost as if she could feel her mother's exhaustion but there was no time to let it show.

When she realized who it was that caught her and set her down all Veena could do was smile, "Shyara thank goodness." She closed her eyes, trying to focus on her breathing. "Did Duncan and your father update you?"

"Yes." A shiver ran up her spine. "I'm sorry I wasn't there sooner. If I had known maybe I could have done something." She-Ra reassured her mother.

"You had no idea what was happening here. You certainly don't have yourself to blame for that." Her mother protested. "I don't know what I would have done had it hit the both of you. I couldn't handle it. Better not tell Teela yet. Seeing him go down was bad enough, but knowing Adam's with him-." Her mother cut her off

"If she asks, I'll tell her something. I don't know what yet, but I have to tell her something. Teela's going to be his wife in six months, I would think she's having a more difficult time; she was actually there, when he fell the second time. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine." She answered, slowly straightening back up leaning heavily on her staff. "The amount of power needed for the healing merely left me drained." Veena failed to tell her healing her brother had almost killed her had it not been for Lana. She would blame herself more.

"More drained than you're likely to admit. You haven't done that sort of healing since your husband was in the same state." Duncan added, knowing his comments would have to wait until another time. He then turned to She-Ra, "She spent over an hour and a half doing a solo healing. What she needs to do is rest, and recharge. Who knows when Skeletor is going to attack again?"

"Duncan, I had no choice! That tiny jewel was so powerful nearly killed him. The two of us combined barely had enough power to save his life. That same jewel almost killed my husband remember? You were there. I've no idea what I would of done without you. Choosing you as his chief adviser was the best choice you've ever made." Duncan nodded, pushing the memory to the back of his mind. "I appreciate the concern as always. I don't know whose worse, you, my husband, apprentices or my children."

'_He's the worst one of them all in my opinion' _

Only Duncan could read her thoughts, and smiled, taking her into a hug as he did he whispered '_Welcome home Shyara. I wish your visit was under better circumstances.' _

_'Thank you Duncan. It seems the only time we see each other now is when one of us need the others help. King Randor's orders don't make it any easier.' _She-Ra smiled at her mentor, not knowing how he knew, Adora had tagged along with her, but he always did. There was no way you could hide anything from Duncan, and get away with it. She then turned to her mother, who was about to collapses from exhaustion, "Get some sleep, you're going to need it. I'll go relieve Teela and let you know if there's any change or any problems."

Veena didn't move, "I would, but, I can't. Lana went to rest. One of us has to remain on guard."

"I can do that. It's one of the reasons I'm here isn't it?" She-Ra sighed, not realizing her mother could be this stubborn. "Mother, you're not going to do either of us any good if you collapses from the over use of your magic. It weakened you once. Please! I don't know how long it will stay quiet. It never does with Hordak. I doubt Skeletor is any different. He is after all Skeletor's teacher, and the rare times I have dealt with him, he was pretty tricky. Ninety percent of the time I had my brother with me. I've never taken him on alone though. In fact He-Man suggested I don't."

"They're not." Grayskull agreed. "Your brother gave me that same advice. You may have encountered him more than I have, but I wouldn't take him on alone either." He then looked over at his wife. "She's right Veena, let down your defences for the moment so we can put up ours. Believe it or not she isn't a child. It won't be quiet for long and you need to recharge as long as you can."

"That's what scares me. When did she grow up? It feels like only yesterday she was a child going horseback riding with her brother. Now she's off fighting a war."

"We must have blinked." It took several minutes before her parents retreated to the corridor where the bedrooms were held, and while she followed them She-Ra headed for a totally different direction.

Upon arriving, She-Ra found the captain of the guard slumped in a chair next to her brother's bed. Teela was one of the youngest warriors in the Eternian army, but she already held the position of captain of the guard. Her reputation as a soldier had quickly spread not only among the guard but all across Eternia. Seeing her sitting at her brother's bed side told She-Ra she was worried, worried about a friend and fellow warrior, who was also her older brother.

The layout was similar to her room, which had an adjacent door next to the bathroom they shared, except the furniture was a medium-coloured wood the décor was a mix of reds and creams, while hers held purples and greens. The bedding, like her own was a handmade quilt owned since they were children. The tapestry, an aerial view of the palace detailed down to the very stones of the palace. A small seating area, along with a sleeper couch sat next to the window, along with twin bookshelves on either side of the tall open window. On the opposite wall there was a door to the bathroom, and a fireplace, which ran through to her room, spreading the warmth equally between the two rooms.

'_I should of known she'd be at his side regardless of the fact nobody knew they were engaged, except a selected few. Or Adam's engaged to her, but he still holds the responsibility as much as He-Man does. If guard training won't get her up, but I might, with the right tone. Or so I hope. "Hey Teela" won't arouse her either. I got to think outside of the box for this one. Maybe I can pull rank, I do outrank her. By seniority at least.'_ she thought to herself placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Rise and shine Captain."

Teela stirred. "What?" She said still half asleep. It was several minutes before realizing the only person who would call her captain other than her father, her guards, and the king, was one who was a captain once herself. Her best friend; He-Man's sister She-Ra. It took several minutes before she could see clearly and found herself in the presence of the Princess of Power; Eternia's other protector who was currently making use of her power protecting Etheria, but was home as often as she could." She-Ra, what a wonderful surprise. I'm glad your father went to get you. From what my mother told me he was very lucky this time. He's never been this severely hurt before, has he?" Teela stepped forward hugging her long lost friend.

She nodded, "Not to my knowledge Teela." She swallowed. That wasn't true. Or was it? Was this the one time she could possible loose her brother, like she almost lost their father? "I came as fast as I could. How is he?" Placing a gentle hand on her brother's forehead, it was obvious to her; her brother still had a dangerously high fever. _'Just like Father. What kind of hell hole has that jewel sent you into?' _ She thought swallowing hard, praying Teela didn't notice. '_The less she knew about the jewel the fewer questions she'd ask.'_

"He's been better. I had no idea Skeletor would try to do something today, he was going to go fishing or something. I guess he didn't realize how serious the injuries really were until we had no choice but to rush him back here to start the healing process." She said looking up at the clock, "I heard my mother, Father, and your parents in a hushed discussion about something about a jewel of Elba. What is it?"

A shiver raced up She-Ra's spine like water going down a mountain, "Something I hoped we'd never have to worry about again!" The princess of power explained, wondering if she had said too much.

Teela pushed back the tears threatening to fall. '_Now isn't the time to do this.' _she mumbled to herself. Teela had been a silent witness, sharing their pain, but she couldn't take anymore. She rushed out of the room, tears flowing freely down her face as sobs escaped her.

"It's my fault I was sworn to protect you. I failed Adam. I failed my best friend. I failed to protect you. I won't be good to anyone if I let my emotions get in the way. My mother said he'll be alright, but I also know my fiancé there too; right?"

"You didn't fail anyone. How were you supposed to know? Adam has a job to do. Nothing he does, in terms of the protection of Eternia can change regardless of your marriage. You and He-Man protect each other, and He-Man protects the prince. King Randor may think your Prince Adam's bodyguard now Teela, but that's not true and you know that. Greyskull's powers shields the twins from whatever dangerous situation we face. Sure, you two would probably do it for anyone who is on your side, but you're friends. The…attachment and desire to help one another is stronger than it would be between two strangers or mere acquaintances. With the logic you're using right now with Adam, that means you should stop being a member of the Royal Guard all together, because I know He-Man would jump into danger to save you no matter the risk to himself and you would do the same for him."

She was silent for several seconds as she felt the strong grip of her father's touch around her. When she left the room so abruptly he followed. He always did. But knowing that he had helped raise the woman before her, she knew her father was checking on the both of them, not just his daughter.

"Teela, you shouldn't be asking her questions." Duncan said, exchanging a quick glance. "She's right though. We thought we'd never have to see it again."

Teela then turned to the Princess Of Power, "It wasn't that. You had every right. I seem to forget that you had Hordak to worry about while you were still a child, while I pretty much didn't have a care in the world. I wasn't there to help him. I failed to be at his side, to take the blast for him if needed. I've seen He-Man go down before, due to a simple stun ray, but never like this. He collapsed. I was there and the first thing I did was have my concern for Adam overcomes me."

"Yes, to be perfectly honest that's the hardest part. Preventing yourself from slipping. You are Adam's fiancé, but right now, he has Greyskull to protect him. He-Man does everything he can to prevent his friends from getting hurt. He'll be alright. My mother's magic is very powerful. But my brother is too. He's too stubborn to let an injury let him down. But as for Adam, he may be sore for awhile, but it's nothing he hasn't dealt with before; after training with you. From what I've been told you're a tougher Captain then I ever was." Teela smirked. "I can't talk for my brother, but if I know him as well as I think I do, he wouldn't let you take the blast for him. It's his job to protect all of Eternia and that includes his friends. He's done it for me, once, when I was a child. It nearly cost him his life. I was almost ten. I had begged my father to let me go riding to the clearing. I know you've never been there, but it's one of the most amazing spots on Eternia I know of. He told me I could go, but I couldn't go alone; being that your father had other things he had to do, my brother tagged along. It was fun, at first. Only to have Hordak spoil it. All I'll say is sometimes there isn't time to get help and you have to do what you need to do to stay alive or protect those around you. That's exactly what he did, even if he was too young to handle Hordak by himself. He's very good with a sword, but even so he has limits. Taking on a whole army of troopers is one thing, but taking on that jewel, is something totally different, especially when you're exhausted."

"I can see your brother doing almost anything to protect you. He loves you, very much. You know for years after Hordak came after you, something was missing within him. But he got it back when he rescued you. He may not admit it to anyone else, but he was crying. Every spare minute he had was at your bedside. He didn't sleep much. I know I promised myself I'd never ask but, what happened?"

"When Hordak found out I had been involved in freeing him, he threatened to hurt Adora. And I didn't let him. After that I don't really remember anything else. My brother has yet to tell me. From what I have been told I was in the infirmary for two weeks, but I don't remember much. I do know that it was your father's skills that helped a lot. You do know he's older than I am don't you?"

Teela shook her head, "I'm sure he has his reasons for not telling you. In my experience at least that's usually a good reason for it. I always thought you were the older one. I don't know why but I did. But I suppose it makes sense. He does protect you more than anyone, or he did when you were here."

"I know. I'm really not sure why people think I'm the older one, but I'm not. Honest. I do know that finding out I was taken by Hordak when he wasn't there, hit him harder than the most powerful blast Hordak could come up with. He's not one to show emotions though, especially when he has a job to do. He couldn't, for my benefit. All his spare time was spent on trying to find Adora and I."

"It was. I'd never see him. I knew He-Man was looking for you, but I had no idea Adam made all the difference. There were times where I feared the worst, only to have him come back safe and sound." Teela confirmed." I think it was shortly after Adam took on the second half of his power they really got absorbed in their search. I can't believe I didn't see it myself. He and Adam were like brothers. Okay, so he's Adam's bodyguard. I've been so used to taking care of Adam, I forgot."

"From what He-Man has told me that wasn't a job King Randor asked him to take, it was more of an assumption since he believed you weren't able to do it. You may have been the youngest guard in the Eternian Military Teela, but I couldn't have done it without you. Taking care of two children was one thing, but six, not the easiest thing I've ever done, especially when there were evil demons I had to protect them from. So you were a little bit boy crazy at the age you were, but that's normal."

"If I had known I would have taken the blast for him. But until I got to my father's lab, I had no idea there was any sort of problem."

"Teela even if you got there in time, there was nothing you could have done, other than what you did. I know what my father told me, you wouldn't leave his side. All I'll tell you is that weapon is dangerous. I'm certainly glad we don't have to worry about it again. I'm going to go check on my brother now. Will you be alright?" She nodded.

_'She knows the source of the jewels power better than anyone, yet she won't let Teela see her break down with emotion. She knows how important her job as Captain is; she held it for six years herself. Regardless though it must be like a stab to the heart knowing her brother- twin brother is severally injured.' _Duncan thought.

"Will you? You're the closest to him."

She nodded,"I'll be fine. I have a job to do here. I can't let my emotions get in the way when Eternia may be in danger. I have to focus. He's counting on me to be there when he can't."

"But he's also family. You are very good at being focused. But you also are part of him."

"She's right. You might need another few minutes to untangle your own thoughts. I'll stay with him. Take as much time as you need." Duncan advised leaving them with their own thoughts.

Duncan didn't want to consider the possibility He-Man may be lost to them forever. Aside from the hardship Eternia would suffer at the loss of its champion, there was the matter of how to deal with the consequent disappearance of Prince Adam. He had made up an excuse for the time being that Adam was at Greyskull and would be aiding the Sorceress in securing the castle helping his parents and sister watch over him but what would he do if the hero never woke up?

_"I don't know if you can hear me, but I know you're alone."_ He swallowed, _"You have done so much for Eternia over the last six years, and while I know it's been hard, I have done everything I can to help you. But this time I can't help you, the only thing I can do is try to talk to you, acting as a beacon to get you home. Everyone's worried about you. Especially your father. While he didn't get there in time to stop the blast he did get there to prevent you from hurting yourself more. Please you have to fight this. You have always been like a son to me. I almost lost your father due to that jewel and I'm not going to lose his son too! I know this is going to be the biggest challenge you've had to face to date, but you have to. Everyone is here with you, and while we're not where ever you are, know that we're here trying to do whatever we can to help you. Your sister's worried sick, even if she's trying very hard not to show it. Teela hasn't leave your side. You've to fight, don't give up. If you do Eternia would be lost without you." _

Slowly, He-Man's hand tightens around his, "He heard me! Teela it's your turn. We'll be back."

"What do I say?" Teela asked, catching her father in the threshold of the door.

"Just talk to him as if he was sitting across from you." Duncan said.

Outside the door She-Ra spoke to her father, half listening to Teela's heart filled words, _"You…you've been my best friend forever, Adam. You HAVE to come back to me...to us. What would we ever do without you? What would Eternia do without you? He-Man would not have been able to take on the power by himself, I know. Going up against Skeletor alone has been one of the hardest things you've ever faced; He-Man has ever faced. But I never thought I'd see the day, when you'd get hurt, seriously hurt. You both need to fight. You're my best friend, and…I know I don't say it, but…" _

She paused and gathered her courage. _"I love you, more than life itself. I always have, even if I've not always seemed like it, but I do. It seems like yesterday when I was sixteen and you confessed for the first time that you felt the same way I did. It didn't matter that I was older than you, it mattered that we both loved each other. Looking back now I would never admit I thought you had cooties, or loved your sister more than me. I can never be your sister, but I have always been and will always been your friend. Even after we're married I promise to never become jealous when you go see Adora, but maybe once you might consider taking me with you, just to give me piece of mind she's alright." _She finally breathed. _"I need you. Please. Come back to us. If you can hear me give me a sign. Please. We're getting married. What am I going to tell Nick? What do I tell his parents? His sister; who probably can feel his pain more than anyone else even though she's trying very hard not to let it bother her. I can't tell your parents the truth can I? Please Adam, don't die on me, please. I can't do this without you! If I_ _could go back in time to take back all the negative things I've said about you, or when I called you lazy. I would in a heartbeat." Nothing happened. "I remember when we were kids. You were so…different. You were reasonably interested in what the King did. You definitely weren't indifferent to it. You read everything you could get your hands on, and you always loved going on adventures, whether it was with me, or Cringer."_ She stopped. _"It was only a little after your 18th birthday that all of that changed. You started disappearing for hours on end. You always came back with the excuse that you had been off having fun. You started taking naps during all different hours of the day. You became clumsier. Those traits don't just develop overnight and come out of nowhere. Honestly, it's left me a little confused, as well, Adam. But it wasn't until after you came to me, and told me the truth I realized how much you actually do for the kingdom. And Eternia."_

"That was a good try Teela." She-Ra said, upon returning to the room.

Teela turned, smiling. Her eyes still red from crying, Teela didn't know if she was angry or upset. But it was then she realized there was someone who needed her more "Are you alright? I can't imagine what's going on in your head. You must be worried sick, but as usual, you're the most held together person I know, even if it's probably eating you up. I wish I knew what it was like to have a sibling. Adam's close to a brother, but as we've got older, we're closer than siblings. We're getting married! Can you believe that?"

"Yes, actually, I can. I always knew you and Adam would one day be married. I also remember you thinking boys had cooties. Adora had a childhood crush too, but he's long gone."

"It came from the heart. Sadly, it was mostly directed to Adam. I wouldn't know what to say to your brother. I don't know him the way you do. I didn't grow up with him. I've fought alongside of him, but I've never had to talk to him. At least not like this." Teela paused, taking a breath to gain her composure. "If he loves her as much as he once said he did, he'll come back. Somehow, they always do."

She-Ra sighed "That's what they say, but I think it's different this time." She sighed, "If anyone who serves the forces of evil finds out, his life will be in a lot more danger then it already is. Skeletor will do everything in his power to get access to Greyskull's secrets, that's why very few people know. I understand how hard this must be for you. It hasn't been so easy for me either. But I know my brother, better than anyone. But the problem is, he doesn't know Hordak as well as I do, and vice versa. Someone once told me _'the more we know about our enemies the easier it will be to defeat them._"

"I understand. I remember hearing that story, from his point of view once. Even so you're entitled to be worried, aren't you? You're his sister. Adora's Adam's second half. That's what he always used to tell me. And not once have I ever thought he was wrong. He changed a lot after she was taken from him. And while I tried to help, there was nothing I could do to replace her. Besides, Adora has a big responsibility being Adam's sister. I don't think I could fill her shoes. Being his fiancé is hard enough."

"Nobody expects you to fill Adora's shoes Teela. In many ways, she knew you 'liked' her brother more than just a 'brother and sister relationship' as you once described. The one difference about your relationship, is the Prince has secrets. Taking on this power meant he had to keep it from the people he loved more than anyone. The plan was to take the powers on together, when the twins were old enough, but I couldn't do that. I don't need to remind you how dangerous it is for you to know this information, especially if Hordak or Skeletor were to come after you. They could use the knowledge against you. I've been trained."

"Don't worry, I'm not about to forget. My father constantly reminds me of that very fact. Every time I try to mention it I bit my lip hard, to remind myself not to say anything. I nearly slipped when I saw your brother go down, my only concern was Adam. Thankfully it was your father who was watching at the door, and not some other bystander. He wasn't there either when He-Man, his son took on the additional power. Everyone thought he was dead. I have no idea He-Man does it."She paused, "My mother has been trying to teach me technicians to block spells like that, but with everything I've had to do, it's not all that easy. Thankfully she's been understanding and works around my schedule. She would have taught me more today, had she not forgotten about her scouting mission."

"He just does, just as I do. There's no handbook or anything if that's what you mean. And those sorts of things can't be learned overnight. My mother started teaching me how to block certain things when I was seven I think. I learned about Hordak when I was nine, but I'm pretty sure he was there longer. "

Teela shook her head, "You're former military, you can handle anything. But everyone needs an extra pair of hands. It boils down to survival," Teela mused. "If He-Man's needed in the middle of the night, Adam couldn't let it affect the rest of his day. He would have to make it seem like any injury he received didn't hurt, even though I knew it did." She grinned "Another few years, you'll have it down-pat too."

"I'm doing rather well on Etheria. Oh, just so you know you're still invited there any time. It's very different than Eternia though. But it's nice. Not as nice as here though."

"That's what He-Man said when he came back from his first visit. It's nice, but its not home. I'll see if I can tag along the next time he goes for a 'quiet little visit' as he calls them. From what He-Man's told me, the rebels need a kick in the butt."

"Exactly, and who better to give them one, then the Captain of the Guards. And be prepared, his 'quiet little visits', usually end up as working vacations. Stay in the Whispering Woods the only place that Hordak can't control."

"I'll see what I can do." Teela paused and looked at the clock. "I've to get going so I can get this over with. King Randor asked to meet with me but I realized I had an appointment. He summoned me to his study when I came back, before dinner. Then I have training. Unless of course you want to do it."

She-Ra shook her head, getting the joke. "No thanks. You're the captain. I have enough problems finding time to train the rebels, never the less getting them to listen to me. If the rebellion won't listen to me on battle tactics and techniques, what makes you think the guards will after all this time, hum? Ten years is a long time; thirteen is longer. I'd be better use staying here. Skeletor will attack again. I have to be ready. I can't- I won't let anything happen while my brother's not available to do it himself. Anything's a break from Hordak, even someone I've very little experience dealing with; Skeletor. I've dealt with him, both here and on Etheria but my brother or my father was always there. He-Man told me never to take him on myself. If I see King Randor right now, I'll say something I'd regret."

"Well it was worth a try." She paused sighing. "I know how you feel. After everything he's done for Eternia I don't understand King Randor's reasoning. If I had that sort of power, I'd praise him; give him some sort of medal. I'd give both of you a medal, you did after all save his daughter AND son prior to retiring. He has yet to give you any recognition for that."

She-Ra nodded, "I somehow don't think he ever will. He didn't believe me once, and I doubt either Adam or Adora would want to remember what happened. Micah, the king of Etheria, has only met him a few times. He doesn't understand his reasoning either. We rely on each other, always will. Hordak's dangerous. I only call upon him if I have no choice. Normally I have no problems."

"I know. He-Man has been protecting Eternia for just over ten years, two and a half of which he's had your help. If King Randor felt there was something wrong with the way you were doing YOUR job he would have said something right? Trouble started when he heard rumours you were leaving and Adora was planning on going with you. Yet she didn't even have the chance to explain. She was almost eighteen. She needs you, until she's twenty one. Why didn't he listen to her? He listens to his people's concerns all the time, how can his children be any different? All he did was make your life miserable."

She-Ra nodded, "I don't know Teela. Maybe it wasn't a reaction as king, but more as a parent. What would you do if Nicholas or even your daughter if you ever do have one told you they wanted to go off world to help? Personally I'd understand, but I'd also be sad that I was losing them. King Randor doesn't know what Adora's capable of, therefore he still may be thinking of her as a child, and the only thing he wants to do, is protect her. And the only way he knows how to do that, is by controlling her. He may have only been thinking of Adora's safety and security. But from what I understand he has issues with us too. If something happens to my brother I take responsibility as protector of Greyskull."

"I don't know what I would do. I do know I'd worry but I also trust in the person I've let protect my child since they were children. If they happen to have one like Adora and Adam do. Is that how your father felt when you told him? My father once told me your father was once sorcerer King. If he was so powerful how come he had to get your mother?"

"Yes, Teela my father was once a powerful sorer, but he hasn't needed to use his magic to that magnitude in years. It's not something you give up just like that. His kingdom was destroyed. He hasn't used his magic for several reasons. Your father wouldn't say that. He's his best friend. He was there."

"Is that why he's scared of using his magic? That's what my father told me!"

"TEELA! Don't ever put words in my mouth, especially when you have no idea what you're talking about. Where ever you found that information is wrong. I certainly didn't say that!" Duncan who had been watching from the threshold was red in the face shocked. "What gives you the right to ask such questions? It's time for you to get back to the palace."

"Father, its history. It happened years ago." Teela replied shocked with the way he reacted with the asking of a question.

"Yes, its history, but he's trying to forget. That's the same time he lost his kingdom, thanks to Hordak. He doesn't use his magic for several reasons Teela. But your father's right. All it would do to him is open old wounds if you ask those kinds of questions, especially in his presence. It's one thing to stand up to your father like that, but I certainly couldn't get away with that sort of questioning. If my father gave me an answer, I had to live with it. No ifs, ands or buts!" She-Ra stood up. "I'll show you out. This place is so big even I've got lost." She walked Teela to the drawbridge.

Teela smiled, "I'm sorry. I can't believe I didn't see it sooner I'm exhausted. I'll cancel training today. They've earned the break. Maybe it'll help morel. Its seems to be lacking in certain areas."

Morale was anything but high among the troops. Aside from the knowledge that all attempts up to this point had failed, there was the knowledge that if Grayskull fell then all of Eternia was lost. It didn't help that about half the Masters were not present. Some had remained in Eternos in case of an attack there.

"Good idea. You could use the rest Teela, as could the guard. Your father once told me you're only as good as the person behind you, but even if you're the one at the front, there's always a chance you could fall. I've always kept those words close. Nobody seems to follow them on Etheria except me."

Duncan glared at her over the rim of his glasses and chuckled to himself. She was in captain mode as he used to call it, and if Teela wasn't careful she'd be punished. "Those were Dekker's original words." He added.

"I stand corrected. If you ever get to meet him Teela, he's a lot like you're father, but I think he's a bit older. Go to bed Teela. You won't do any good if you can't keep your eyes open. If you see her, tell Marlena Adora says hello. I hope to see her at some point during my visit. But with the way her husband's acting, it's unlikely. Can you do me a favour? Deliver this to Mek for me? It's from his sister."

"I would, but he's in South Eternos on a mission for the king. I don't know when he'll be back. Sorry. Somehow always know something is up now even if nobody tells him."

"It's alright. Please don't tell anyone I'm here. Well, maybe Marlena, in private." Teela nodded, "I don't want you to get into trouble, especially with your wedding so close. And before I forget, assuming everything stays quiet I'll be at your wedding. If I'm not, I'll have a disappointed Prince on my hands. Adora's a lot more important than I am. I'm sure she'd make a better maid of honour."

"As long as you don't mind. Adam told me he picked your brother. I felt I had to choose you."

"I'm not really sure I'd be the best fit for the job. Whatever choice you make is fine by me."

"It really wouldn't be the same without you. I was a red haired jerk."

"Teela, I've never said you're a red haired anything. Adam fell in love with you, not your hair."

"I know. I wish I could be more like you. I say things before I think them out, but you have always been an inspiration. You're one of the few female warriors who made it through academy at the young age of fourteen. I don't know Dekker the way you do, but my father says he was tough. You proved you could handle anything, and you did. And while this may be a little late I have always looked up to you. I know I replaced you do to circumstances, but I've tried to remember your teaching."

"Thanks Teela. That means a lot. Dekker's very tough. That's what made him so good at what he does. I hope you have a chance to meet him. I know it slipped out it could have been a lot worse had my father heard. Where on Eternia did you hear such bull crap? He knows very well what caused him to stop using his magic unless there is no other choice. For the record he did help my brother that old healing spell he used, stabilized my brother long enough to get him help. Without it he would not be here right now. Stick to the facts! If you don't know ask me."

"I know." Teela sighed as they walked to where she had hidden her airvehicle. "I have to get back."

She-Ra watched as Teela mounted the vehicle and disappeared into the distance.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Once he saw that his daughter was out of sight, Duncan entered the room in which She-Ra watched over her brother. "Want to talk about it?" He asked placing a gentle hand on her shoulder careful not to startle her. "I'm sorry. I know how uncomfortable her questions may have made you. She should have known better. She may love history, but she's got the facts wrong. I said nothing of the sort. I know what happened, just as much as you do."

"It's not that. It's the fact she put words in your mouth. Words you'd never use. Considering you were there. It was partly my fault. I should have bit my tongue. You would never tell Teela he was scared of using his magic. There are things about my father she will never understand. Where on Eternia did she get such a notion? He trained too hard to give it up. I'll have to find time to talk to her later. It'll bug me until I get my feelings to what she said out in the open."

Duncan nodded in understanding." I won't mention it to your father unless it gets out of hand. If it's not about Teela, then what's wrong? I've known you for too long. You brother has said there was something off about you, but he hasn't had time to figure it out. It's not like either of you has had time to sit and talk for a couple of hours. In my best opinion I think that's what you two need more than anything right now."

"As horrible as it sounds, telling him would distract him, and he doesn't need that right now. Ever since I got my brother's last letter it seems as if he had more that he wanted to tell me, but he didn't because he feared that someone would read it; someone who didn't have his permission to read his letters to me. I'm willing to share, if you can handle it. It isn't pretty. I personally had to go back a few times to make sure what I was reading was really what the letter said." She-Ra said pulling her letter from her pack.

"Of course not. There have been certain things weighing your brother down as of late, and the fishing trip he and his father were planning this weekend was a way to try and fix that. It's been something they've needed for a very long time." Duncan paused, "Letters are personal. I don't want to find myself prying. But it may hold the information we're looking for."

"Maybe." She scanned the letter waiting for her father to join them; she only had the patience to read it once.

_"King Randor pulled me into his office today as I was heading out for my last scouting rotation of the day, and head home to spent time with Mother and Father. As if I was half expecting an apology for the way he treated you the last time you met with him, I didn't give him any indication I was still angry. Not only did I not get the apology, but I got the same treatment. While his words were not exactly appropriate to repeat in written form, I'm sorry to say they are mostly about you. King Randor stated from now on, every time I needed your help I have to check in with him, and get his permission to send for who he considers "a traitor." And from now on Adam's father is to know where Adam is at all times. I have tried to do that however it's not as easy as it looks. He also feels Adora abandoned the family, since she has yet to see him. I have constantly reminded him that the last time she met with him, the only thing he did do was scream at her. I have constantly asked myself how a father could consider doing such a thing to their child, but all I end up with is more questions that I can't answer. I don't agree with him on any accusation, but with the way he was talking behind your back I had to force back the tears. From what Prince Adam has told me this has gone on for a very long time, which is why he now has dinner with me most days, as he has no intention of facing his father anytime soon. Whatever has gotten into him, neither of you or Adora is to blame. King Randor isn't acting like the leader I know he's been sheltered from the cruel realities of the world. But that's not the problem. Whenever danger comes our way, his way he runs from it instead of too it. And in his father's eyes that means he's a coward. If he only knew how much good he actually does maybe his stress level will be more in the range of normal. But he knows, just as I do that's not possible. Marlena on the other hand seems to know more then she lets on._

_If we want to do our jobs properly, we don't have time to contact the king, explain the situation and get his permission to ask for help; especially when it's a matter of life or death. I have never thought you abandoned our planet sis. Or the royal family for that matter, the way King Randor thinks you do. Even when you were tortured at the hands of Hordak, you did not give any secrets up, no matter what. I don't know why King Randor has named you a traitor, but he certainly doesn't know you the way I do. In my eyes, it was a sacrifice, because you had to leave your family you barely got back into your life. I've tried to explain this to the king, but he didn't want to hear it. Instead of waiting for me to finish my explanation, he dismissed me like some common servant or guard when I no longer serve him, at least the way he thinks I do. I will tell you this sis, whenever you need the help, father or I will be there, no matter what just as we were the last time. And I know whenever I need you, I can call you, or you'll be there._

_At the last masters meeting I made the announcement regarding the ban and King Randor's orders stating that if anyone is found helping the rebellion they would find themselves in the prison though they only have known you for a short time- except for Mek and Teela of course, they were astonished. Each and every one of them made a promise that if there was a situation that needed an extra pair of hands, they'd be there, day or night. I have never been so proud of them in my entire life._

_After the meeting Mek could see I was preoccupied, and asked if there was anything he could do to help. I have never been able to hide anything from Mek, even as children, so I had no choice. I told him about the additional ban in place preventing me from helping you, and you helping me. Again he was astonished. He told me if I needed to go help you, even if it was in the middle of the night, he'd either go with me, or take over as leader until I came back. And in all honest I don't know what I'd do without him. Anyways sis, I'll keep you posted. _

She-Ra didn't bother to finish the letter. It was just her brother's typical closing and he had heard it more than one hundred times. By his expression she knew that Duncan wasn't pleased with the letter, and neither was her father.

Man-at-Arms, was not a man to lose his temper easily and he wasn't about to start now even when the circumstances didn't make things easy for him. His armour suddenly seemed very restricting as he counted to ten...then fifty. "No wonder you're so preoccupied. When you said the letter wasn't pretty I never considered your meaning to be anything like that. It's certainly understandable that you've been so hard to read today." Duncan said "I'm head of security. I'm the one who controls which lines are blocked, not the king. I have no idea how he's been able to do that without my knowing. "

"I have no idea. I only know what He-Man told me." She-Ra replied "And I thought I was getting better at blocking my thoughts, especially where you're concerned. I've never been able to hide anything from you anyways, no matter how hard I tried. But if the King finds out I'm here... "

Her father placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "He won't, not until I figure out what's wrong with him or take the throne from him. Why on Eternia would the King believe such lies?" Grayskull asked. "Just because you left to help a planet that isn't yours, doesn't make you a traitor. It would be the same as accusing someone who was leaving for an off world mission they were a traitor because they're helping people who aren't their own. Adora had no choice, but to leave when she did. It's her father who refused to see her not the other way around. Adora would never say anything horrible about her Father. Not the way he is. I know, I was there. There has to be a logical explanation." He turned to Duncan, "What did King Randor say when you tried to talk to him this morning Duncan? Or even my son?"

"Nothing. He came to me months ago after he met with King Randor. He's frustrated with the accusations, and the harsh words used to describe his sister. None of which is true." Duncan replied.

"He-Man, though weakened by the poison, was worried about getting his sister's help even though he needed her, and the fact that he knew Skeletor would attack again. I haven't had a chance to talk to King Randor as his assistant told me I needed an appointment to see him. I've never needed an appointment nor has his office ever been locked. For safety and security reasons I have to be able to get in there at any time. And he knows that."

She-Ra nodded," I had those same fears. But if my brother needs me those orders are null and void. I have to be here, not just for him, but for you, and Mom. You may not admit it Duncan, but you've always been family too. I can certainly understand if it was hard for you seeing him collapse the way he did."

"The feeling has always been mutual Shyara." She-Ra laughed that was the first time she had heard him use her birth name since she was a child. "Boy does that feel strange after all this time. If it was your life on the line, he'd do almost anything to be there to help you, even go against King Randor's orders. He has too. It's the only way he knows you're safe."

"King Randor has no right to tell him how to do his job. The last time you needed him, he pulled me from a deep sleep, and he never does that unless there's an emergency. But yes I admit, it was hard. But He-Man wasn't the only one who needed me. I had to do what I could until you got here."

Grayskull's eyes moved to the mantel clock above the fireplace. "It was Duncan's idea that I should go get you in person. I've to go check on your mother, and then go scouting. Are you going to be alright?"

"I'll be fine Father." She reached out and grasped his hand, "Let me know if I can help. I can go..."

"Next time," He said cutting her off. "I have a lot on my mind. Scouting helps me clear my head. Stay with him, he needs you. You have a stronger mental link to him, always have." Her eyes met his in a wordless glance as she watched him go.

Before She-Ra could settle herself in the overstuffed chair next to her brother's bed her mother who had been listening to the father daughter conversation from the threshold entered the room. Startled by her presence, She-Ra jumped and turned only to find it was her mother, "Sorry, I'm a bit preoccupied. I lost myself in thought for a minute; didn't see you come in."

"I didn't mean to startle you." Her mother reassured her. "I'm sure a lot of us are having the same problem. Even your father. He is the most held together person I know, besides Duncan. But due to the circumstances, I understand. I've been there several times today. But my job as a mother comes first. It always has, even if you're all grown up."

"I really don't know how you did it with us Mom. Even if you knew how dangerous Hordak was, you would tell us- or me, everything would be okay, even if you knew it may not be. But one thing I do know is you always spoil me while I'm here. Most of my specialities are better over a fire stove."

"It hasn't always been easy coming up with answers to your endless questions which would satisfy you. Something like you had to do with Teela just now, even if the answers were there, you didn't want her to know more of your history then she actually does. Duncan would never tell her that your father's scared to use his magic. He's family. He's known your father since they were like eight." She nodded, "And for the record, everyone should be allowed to be spoiled once and awhile. Grown or not, food always tastes better when it's made by someone else, especially mother's. Besides fire stoves are dangerous."

"True. As much as I hate those contraptions it's the only thing I tend to use. It makes good sandwiches."

"I'm sure they do. But mine are better, or that's what your brother tells me." She then handed her a plate on with a three layer sandwich." I have a feeling with all your responsibility, and the other emotional burdens, you didn't have time to eat. Eat!"

"Very true." She-Ra smiled in thanks. But as usual she couldn't finish the sandwich and placed it on the bedside table, and sat down next to his feet, facing her mother, unaware of the big cat eyeing the uneaten portion of the sandwich.

"Never the less I should of been here! He's helped me so many times I... owe it to him. This isn't the way we planned on doing things. I never dreamed my brother would get hurt, and I wouldn't be allowed to aide him because of the kings' refusal to let me come to my own home planet!"

Veena looked deep into her daughter's eyes. While she understood why she was blaming herself, she wouldn't be this calm and collective if both of her children had been hit, "Shyara, you have responsibilities but right now they're not here, but on Etheria. Sometimes in life, especially when war is concerned, things don't go the way we plan. I'm not really sure what you could have done to help him anyways. I had to tap into the power of the ancients, and the castle's magic. You don't have the knowledge or know how. I didn't teach you because I knew how much it took out of me. If it hadn't been for your father using a spell he hasn't used for at least ten years, your brother would have died before he even got to me. I knew something was wrong, but I couldn't leave the castle unprotected. Your father got hit once, and it took me over three hours to stabilize him. He-Man got hit twice, and even in its weakened state the jewel almost killed him. If it hadn't been for Duncan's quick thinking and amazing skill level, it would have. It wasn't just the jewel. Skeletor used his 'special gift', to weaken him. I don't know what I'd do if the both of you got hit. I wouldn't have been able to handle it. I understand Randor's orders aren't making your jobs any easier but until we find out what's going on with him, there's nothing you can do. Beating yourself up will not help. I've tried thinking about the 'what if's' but they don't change the outcome. It happened."

Veena sank down to the chair, next to the bed. She was emotionally, mentally and physically drained but she also had a job to do. As a mother. Some say it was harder than what she did as a guardian of Castle Greyskull, protecting it day and night from the forces of evil but others said it was easier. It was neither easy nor hard, because they were both grown and no longer needed her, at least most of the time.

"It was. Your brother threw there himself. Then again you already know that don't you? And even though he was several weakened, I saw him destroy the jewel seconds after the evil warriors fled. I don't know how those evil monsters got it but I do know Skeletor stole the jewel from Hordak using it against He-Man once he used his own powers, to weaken him. To prevent me from worrying, he dragged himself back to the palace only to have Duncan, Teela and your father had to race him back here. I haven't felt that power since I healed your father."

"I know Mom. I was there. You wouldn't tell me what that jewel was or why I couldn't see my own father. For awhile I though he was dead."

Battle Cat, as if he knew someone needed him, someone he hadn't seen in awhile was there headed out from behind the couch and pounced She-Ra, his weight knocking the wind out of her, pinning her down with one of his large paws licking her face happily."Hey buddy, it's nice to see you too."

It took several seconds before he withdrew his attack, "I didn't hurt you did I?" The tiger asked. He had done it before, when she was a lot younger and didn't have the strength to handle his weight. Since then the cat was usual careful, but today was an exception, he was more excited the usual, his beloved friend was home once more. She was the only one who could help He-Man now. Everything healing wise had been done, but She-Ra had a tight link to her brother, nobody else had, even their parents.

"No buddy, you didn't. Just knocked the wind out of me. Don't do that to my mother okay. You may not admit it, but you're not a kitten anymore." She reached over to the bedside table where she had placed the uneaten sandwich. Placing the sandwich on the ground she watched as he tore into the food instantly.

"He won't." Veena said reaching down to scratch the cat on the bridge of his nose, but only once she knew he was finished with the food. "He tries to eat my bare toes at night, even if I have sleeper socks. You alright?"

"Yes, he got me by surprise, knocked the wind out of me. No damage done. He'd never hurt me though. He does this to me all the time. I was so preoccupied, he caught me off guard. Battle Cat wasn't able to come the last time, He-Man came to help me and I haven't been here since before Adora's birthday." She-Ra said, crouching down to rub him. "I guess he didn't know I was here and when he heard me he, thought you were being threatened so, he came to your defence."

Veena smiled, "My big furry hero." She reached down and scratched him on the nose. "That's certainly new. He's never done that before, than again he couldn't since I 'disappeared'. It also explains why he's been sleeping at the foot of our bed. Your father leaves before dawn. By the time I crawl back into bed he's sleeping at the foot of the bed. He's never done that before, even as a kitten. He always stayed with you. You weren't even six when your brother found him. You clung to your father's leg, until of course he decided to sleep with you; you were okay with it; which was a good thing. Hordak made an attempt to kidnap you and had it not been for Battle Cat, who alerted He-Man. If he wasn't there, you would have been abducted and we wouldn't have known about it till it was too late. I believe it's one of the reasons why your brother is still very over protective of you, and wasn't exactly keen with the idea of you leaving to help a planet which Hordak rules. But he knows you can handle it. I don't think that makes it any easier though." Veena reminded her, watching her son, so still, so weak.

"All this time I thought it was because he was cold and since I was there, he cuddled with me. Cringer used to do it with the twins all the time. Come to think of it, they were the same age when they found their tigers." Her mother's comments about the abductions attempts Hordak made when she was a child sent a shiver up her spine. "He did? That explains why he took me along with Adora then."

"Perhaps, but you weren't his target. Adora was. You're no longer vulnerable. She was. I believe, the plan was to use a well-timed mind attack to catch you off guard, forcing you to give up the secrets of Castle Greyskull using Princess Adora as ransom. He wasn't expecting you to come along as her bodyguard protecting her as best as you could. But he also knew if he was to let just you go, you would come back in full force to save the Princess. But you didn't leave, you couldn't. Something similar almost happened to your father once; he refused to let down his defences. But with the knowledge and training I provided him when we were first married, Hordak failed, both times. Even if your father studied magic, blocking mind spells or mind taps weren't on the high priority list of the curriculum. I'm not sure why, that's one of the first things I taught the two apprentices I had. I provided Duncan with the same training he'd be a vulnerable target as well. It's one of the reasons we thought he'd be the perfect mentor in case something happened to us."

"And to think I once thought I was strong willed enough not to require that sort of training. I was wrong. I wouldn't have been able to fight of Hordak's mind attacks without it, nor would I have been able to protect the entire kingdom either. Now you're there to protect it Hordak's focus is no longer with you, its conquering Etheria, just as it was years ago, when he tried to do the same here on Eternia." Her father explained neither mother nor daughter had seen him re-enter the room. "I believe you're the only one who can help your brother, but not in the way you're thinking."

"So you keep telling me. What makes you think I have a better chance of helping him out of the jewel's enchantment than you do? You've done it before, with father. I've never done that sort of telepathic communication before Mother."

"Yes, but we're married. We've been able to do that for years. In order to do what I did, it required not only a lot of concentration, but it also meant I would have to see his most kept secrets. Normally he wouldn't let me read him when he's protecting his thoughts. I will say, he had to relive an internal demon. But for you and your brother, you a bond. You already know everything he's gone through. I don't remember anything interesting happening to him before you were born. Other than him having to go for a walk the day you were born and getting lost in the storm. But that's a story for him to tell you, not me. Come to think of it you might already know it. One of you always knows when the other needs them. I once thought it had to do with the fact you have the twins help, but it hasn't always been the case. You were nine when Hordak came after you. Your brother knew he shouldn't let you out of his sight. When Hordak attacked him, you knew he'd not have the power to defeat him alone and rather than getting help, you stayed. It's no different now, even if you're on separate planets."

"I don't know how. I just did, even if I knew he'd get mad at me for putting myself at risk."

"I know. I was watching. He wasn't mad; he was scared he'd lose you." Her mother paused, "Maybe he thought he failed you by not paying more attention to the surrounding, or dropping his guard. He had no idea what was going to happen since he needed the break just as much as you did."

"What does this have to do with what happened? Wait a minute. He blamed himself for finding himself in that situation to begin with, now Father's blaming himself for not being there in time. He thinks he failed him because he wasn't home to lend an extra pair of hand."

Grayskull nodded, having heard the entire conversation at the threshold, "That's right I am. I could have prevented it. At least then I would have been able to do something productive today."

"Things haven't been going well at the conferences?"

"Well, only because King Randor rejected everything I've suggested. He won't even try the suggestions I've put before him. Things that have worked for me." Grayskull looked into his daughter's eyes and spoke before she could. "Blaming yourself won't change anything. You need to stay focused, on the here and now, not what happened in the past. What's done is done. If Skeletor joined forces with his teacher, we need you here, not in the past. Beating yourself up for something even you couldn't prevent won't help. You were thirteen when I was hit, Shyara. And while there is a five year difference between you and your brother, I didn't even want your brother, out there, but he was anyways. There was no time to get him back inside."

"I know. I told him to stay inside, but he didn't listen to me either! To be perfectly honest I was scared. It was like, I knew something was going to happen and all I wanted was my brother to stay with me. That hasn't changed though. Every time we take on Skeletor or Hordak it scares the shit out of me. It always has. I know what I have to do, but that doesn't make it any easier, especially when I there is a possibility I could lose my family. Again!"

"At the age you were I can certainly understand. Fear's nothing to be ashamed. In order to stay focused you have to push the fear back, otherwise it will overcome you. Nobody said it was going to be easy. Nothing about war and battle ever is, especially when those around you get hurt. If it was, you wouldn't be feeling this way. I have always felt that same way. It felt like my heart stopped when I saw him go down. He pushed me out of the way when he saw I was in the path of fire. That's how I knew what happened to your brother. It was like I had a flashback, but it was your father who got hit, not your brother. If I hadn't got out of the meeting when I did, your brother wouldn't be here." Duncan interjected pulling her into a gentle hug. "I have this feeling your brother knew something was about to happen too, that's why he didn't heed our warnings."

He wasn't family of course but he was Grayskull's best friend, and trusted confident. Even though he no longer worked for him, he was still used as a sounding board when needed. He had been the emotional support for his entire family not once, but twice. Once when he was in the same condition his son was in now, and two and a half years later when he had "died". Years later, he was the emotional sounding board for He-Man who lost both his sister, Princess Adora, and his mother all within the same year. Now it was Grayskull who needed the emotional stability. He couldn't console his daughter and wife without it.

"Duncan there was nothing you could have done. Even you couldn't have got there. Yes, just like he knew what my answer was when he asked me if I was going to stay on Etheria."

"Those people needed you to put a balance in their defences. I provided what the training I could, but the rest is up to them. You can't always be there. Sometimes you'll need to be here, helping your brother. And taking a rare vacation too. He knows the Masters can take over if he's not available, but for you that's not possible. This might be a good chance for you to put their teamwork to the test."

"I've always loved your words of wisdom Duncan." She sighed, pushing back the tears threatened to fall again. "Why do I feel as if I've failed my brother?"

"Perhaps, you feel as if you were breaking a promise, letting him down by not being there when he really needed you." Duncan replied recalling a similar conversation he had but with her brother. "But you didn't fail him. You never have, and never will. You thought it would be easy to free Etheria, and would be able to come home within a short period of time right?"

"Yes, that was the original plan, until I realized Hordak's too strong for these people to fight alone."

"Well, it did take your father ten years to get rid of Hordak. Unlike you, he has magical ability, which he hasn't used since then. It's what sent Hordak to the prison zone the first time, only to find out that he escaped and we had to deal with him once again. Now you're dealing with him. Not because you really want to, but you are the only one with the knowledge and know how. You deal with a different monster than he does. Skeletor causes havoc, but he was also once King Randor's brother. He was twisted thanks to the dark arts and the manipulation of Hordak. On Etheria, Hordak is a completely different story. I know he studied the dark arts, but he's much more powerful than Skeletor. Both want the power of the ancients and would do just about anything to get it. But neither of them ever imagined the power of good would get in their way. And you pose that power, but even you can't do that alone."

Duncan paused, "Your brother felt the same way too once, about Skeletor. When he took on the extra power he thought it would be easy to get rid of Skeletor, but that was four years ago now. You have your own job to do. But for your brother, he has more than Skeletor to worry about. Every night when he goes to bed and knows you're waking up he prays you're alright. Ever since the last time you called on him, he's kept his communication close enough so that if you need him, he'll know. I've never seen him without one, two actually. The one I made for the two of you, the hand held, and the personal. And the one used to keep in contact with the masters."

"That's exactly how I feel Duncan. Regardless of how hard I tried to keep my emotions in check I couldn't. It seems as if we try to prolong the time we have together so we don't have to say goodbye. Even hugging him a little bit longer doesn't work."

"That's right. But you know something; it's no different with him. Leaving you breaks his heart a little bit more each time he has to get back to Eternia. Ever since you came back into his life he's had the much needed support from someone with the same level of power. Even though he understood the ancients didn't plan for the two of you to protect the same planet, emotions flowed for several days, even after he came back from seeing you off. That was shortly before King Randor called him in for the meeting, banning him from helping you."

Grayskull's eyes moved from his son's bedside to where his daughter and best friend were sitting. "Today was the first I've heard about it, but I tried not to seem as if I was too shocked. I only know what He-Man told me. Why would King Randor ban you from helping each other? He certainly wouldn't turn away from his siblings if they needed help. How are you any different? How are his twin children any different? They NEED to see each other as do you two."

"It's certainly understandable Father. I didn't hear about the ban through the king, He-Man told me through a letter. He was sworn to secrecy, but it didn't mean my brother wouldn't pass on the information to me. It was about me anyways. I was a little shocked about it myself If King Randor has something against us, we should be the ones he talks to, not the other masters. The masters have nothing to do with the fact I decided to go to Etheria. It was my choice."

"I don't think he's had time to come to me about it. He's been preoccupied. If I hadn't been so busy with the conferences I would have been home long enough to find out myself. I'm sure in the end he would have, when he had had the chance. King Randor told you separately because your brother would come to your defence when he made accusations. He always has. He knows you better than anyone." Her father explained. "He may not have wanted you to tell me because he could be a little intimidated. He knows there's a law in place which could cause me to take the throne from him."

"Right, I forgot. Could it also be the fact that King Randor hasn't exactly got used to the idea that his best friend is alive and well after believing that he was dead for thirteen years?"

Duncan exchanged a glance with King Grayskull, as if they could read the others mind. "You have a point. He may have looked over joyed, but something's aren't always as they seem. Was it deception?"

"Maybe." Duncan said. "If I hurry, I can get back to the palace before King Randor retires for the night. If I find out anything I'll let you know." He then placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "I've known you your entire life. You're the last person I'd consider to be a traitor. You're also a former guard; you'd do pretty much anything to protect the royal family. You saved Adora's life. Not once did he visit you while you were in the infirmary, Marlena did though. There are certain things only a mother can understand."

She-Ra smiled, "That she can. Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Father's do a pretty good job too." Duncan said heading down the stairs to the drawbridge. "I'll know more after I've talked to the King. Stay here and watch over your brother for me?"

She-Ra nodded. "Of course; but don't you think this can wait till the morning? Nothing's going to change with King Randor in a few hours. By the time you get there, the King and Queen will have retired for the night. You won't be able to see them till the morning."

Duncan looked over at her father who nodded, "She's right. Wasn't her first assignment as Marlena's personal guard?" Duncan nodded, "It might be a good idea if you stay here, get some rest. You've had an emotional few hours. You're just as worried as I am. If not more."

Duncan looked over at She-Ra."How does he still know me more than I know myself? I used to be the one to give him advice. I never thought he'd have to give it to me. He's not even my son."

"No, and relationship doesn't have to through blood. You and my father are like brothers. That means you're family. You've known him for a very long time Duncan. My Father has a knack for knowing these kids of things, even if you're very good at hiding them."

Man-at-Arms never felt such guilt weighing heavily on his shoulders. In his mind, he had always separated them…He-Man from Prince Adam and Princess Adora from She-Ra. But why did something feel wrong. So familiar. It didn't take him long to come up with an answer. It was happening. History was repeating himself.

"It won't do you any good to beat yourself up. Perhaps a game of chess will ease your mind for awhile."

Duncan sighed, "I suppose." He then looked over at She-Ra, "Are you going to be alright?"

"I'll be fine. You're the only one I know who actually has a chance against my father when it comes to his favourite game. I don't even know if Robot would have a chance against him. He's very good."

"Didn't you learn the basics while you were in the guard? Surely that would help, a little."

"I'm sure I did Duncan. Besides my father is undefeated. I'll have no chance against him. Nobody ever does. Except you. I remember you being rather good. I remember sitting on his lap watching."

"I was," Grayskull said. "Once. I suppose now I should see if I still have that gift. Too bad my good luck charm is all grown up. When did she grow up Duncan? Did I blink?"

"We both did. One minute she's sparing with her brother, and protecting the queen as her personal guard. The next minute she's trying to free Etheria."

"Tagged teamed by my father, and his best friend. What did I do to deserve that? I grew up to fast. If Kate was here, she'd be the perfect replacement." She-Ra replied as she watched her father, and family friend, who was like an uncle to her leave the room '_Adora certainly did and there was nothing I could of done.' _

"You grew up too fast."

"Not my fault. It wasn't as if I could stay a child forever."

"I know. Get some sleep, who knows when we'll need you."

"Only if you do the same Father. Be good you two."

Once she was the only one in the room again She-Ra made herself comfortable in her father's over stuffed arm chair and pulled out her book. Battle cat was on the other side of the bed watching He-Man intently. The animal didn't look up or make a sound to acknowledge her presence.

"Anytime we go anywhere to get away, He-Man always has to help someone. Thanks to Skeletor our fishing trip was cancelled!" Battle Cat paused and said even more softly, "B-but who's going to help He-Man? I've never seen him this beaten before. Old bone brain probably did this because he knew how exhausted we were." The cat replied. "I'm supposed to watch his back. Yet, I failed. I couldn't get there in time, that's never happened before. It was like the weapon was out of this world."

It was only when she joined the tiger on the other side of the bed Battle Cat noticed her. She-Ra smiled kneeling down next to him rubbing him in the one place on his face which his armoured head piece did not protect, the bridge of his nose. When he was a kitten he loved being scratched there, and it was no different now. He could sense when he needed her, now it was her turn to be there for him. It also helped that she was able to communicate with animals that usually didn't talk, but this cat did.

"You did no such thing! You did the only thing you could do; get him to the palace where he could be treated. It was lucky you were with him. If I know my brothers as well as I do, he prevented that jewel from hurting you. Your armour can only do so much to protect you and even he didn't know how bad it would hurt you, so he did the only thing he could do kept it away from you as much as possible."

Duncan, who had been watching from the threshold, felt like his heart stopped. The tiger's concerns made the situation and the facts all too real: He-Man wasn't invincible. Of course, Duncan always knew he wasn't, but the truth was he never thought about it. He suddenly realized he was guilty of taking Adam and He-Man for granted. They were always there when he and Eternia needed him. No one ever wondered what would happen if something actually does happen to Eternia's Champion. Man-at-Arms turned around to face the front, breathed in deeply, but his words were taken from him.

"I will. With or without the king's permission." She-Ra replied. "Duncan, he'll be fine. He's too stubborn to let a little jewel keep him down for long." She continued without looking up at him.

"How did you know I was listening?"

"Trade secret. It's part of the job."

"Oh, really. Is it just one of your special gifts? I have never seen your brother do that."

"Not that I know of. I saw you come down the corridor. I've just learned to take the quiet moments as they come. With Hordak you have to be ready for anything. You can't really sit outside and daydream."

"No, I don't doubt you can. Hordak isn't like Skeletor. he's more cleaver. But I haven't dealt with him in over fifteen years. There are very few places here even that you can get away from the palace to think. They may be different planets, but when there are quiet moments, we've learned to make good use of them, try to make it last. Sleep is very important. You never know when or how early to expect an attack. Everyone else is sleeping. Your father was falling asleep and asked me to check on you. Fathers are very good at listening. I'm not saying it because I am one. If you ever need a sounding board or a shoulder to lean on, you know where to find me."

"I know. I guess I'm so used to working out my own problems, I forget I can go to my parents if I ever need to. And if they don't know what to say, I've got you too. I've known you my entire life. You've known the twins secret from the start. I'd think you're worried about him too. You're going to be Adam's father-in-law. And while you're so used to knowing it, it might bother you a little knowing that he's putting himself at risk. In truth it bothers me to, but I know he'll be fine."

"Yes. But Adam's not who I'm worried about. Greyskull's magic protects him. It's your brother who was hit with the jewel, not the Prince. I may have known you and your brother since you were born, but I also know your father. He believes you won't come to him if you really need him. The issue with King Randor banning you from helping each other is weighing both you and your brother down more than you're likely to admit."

"You noticed huh? I've been trying not to show it." She-Ra asked her eyes sparkling from unshod tears.

"Yes. I did. It's understandable. Since the day you came into this world you and your brother have been inseparable. And with you helping a world that's not your own, your bond has strengthen even more."

"But I don't know if I'll be able to pull him out of a void like you're describing. Telepathy is one thing, what you're asking me to do is something completely different. If it'll help him I'll do it."

"I know. You'll know what to do when the time's right." She didn't reply. When Duncan checked on her, he found that she was sound asleep, one hand holding her brother's, the weight of the world lifted at least for the moment. Duncan smiled, chuckling quietly to himself as he lay a warn quilt over her shoulders before returning to bed himself.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

When she awoke an hour later she found herself on the sleeper couch housed on the opposite side of the room covered with the same quilt that had once hung over it. Upon pulling herself to her feet her ears tuned into her father's words.

"When we were first married, your mother I didn't know we'd ever have children. We didn't know why, but we were told we couldn't. But they were wrong. It was soon discovered I would have a son, like I had always dreamed. And one day I could pass my powers on to him. But that day came too soon for you. When it was apparent Hordak was a threat once again I had no choice but to not only train you, but to provide you with only a portion of my power."

Grayskull continued, "_Five years later we were blessed once again, but this time we had a girl. She was born during a time of peace, just as you were, but once again evil threatened our land and when the time came, I had to train her too. Looking back sometimes I feel there might have been something else I could have done. Someway I could have hidden you from the horrors of war, but now I know there wasn't. Even if I did, you would have found out the hard way. I wasn't about to let it happen. I never imagined my children would one day have to take over my war, my fight, with my enemy. Right now you have to fight. I can't be there with you; I can help you get through this. Follow my voice; use me as a beacon, just as I used you and your mother. We need you, Eternia needs you. Your friends need you, your mother needs you, your sister needs you. I need you."_

He-Man's hand tightened around his father's, and for the first time in twenty two years a tear escaped from the corner of his eye. Using his free hand Grayskull placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder, "How'd you know I was listening?"

He stood up, "Lucky guess." He said, blinking back the tears threatening to fall.

She nodded, "I had no idea. I didn't mean to pry."

"You weren't prying. You needed the sleep. I figured since I was awake anyways, I'd sit with him for awhile. Since you're awake now, you can have my spot; I'm going back to bed. Talk to him. He's starting to wake up now and needs the anchor. You'll be able to do it, I have no doubt." She nodded.

Hours later Grayskull entered the room carefully, balancing the tray in his hand, and quietly closed the door behind him. He gently placed the tray on the table set in the middle of the room, careful not to wake his sleeping daughter. He wasn't sure what time she had finally fallen asleep, but he did check on her shortly after midnight. She was asleep; the only thing he did was lay an extra quilt over her before going back to bed. But this time, something made her more alert than usual. As if she was expecting an attack she jumped up only to find herself safely within Castle Greyskull's walls.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. It's just me. Everything's fine." Her father said softly pulling the handmade quilt back over her shoulders. He noted Duncan and Lana- the name he had once called the Sorceress when she was still his wife's apprentice were not in the room; he hoped Duncan had succeed in getting the Sorceress to bed for awhile.

While they had not been married due to the horde wars, Grayskull knew his old friend loved her even more than life itself. If there was a way he could get them married now, he would, but he couldn't especially when Skeletor was a threat. King Randor, more importantly his son, and the prince needed his guidance. Duncan wouldn't leave his post until he knew his job was over.

She-Ra rubbed her eyes trying to pull the sleep from her eyes, "That's alright, Father. My instincts are fine toned now I can hear everything around me, even if I'm in a deep sleep. Sometimes I wish they weren't so that I wouldn't be able to hear the ruckus Glimmer caused first thing this morning. " He eyes widened, "The last time she woke me up, she screamed at me and ordering me to go scouting. I just told her if she needed to go scouting so bad she could go herself. I went back to sleep."

"That happens with time, especially when you're the one with additional guard training. She shouldn't be able to do that Shyara. Not after you've spent the entire night on guard duty, even you need to sleep."

"I never thought of it that way. The next time I get to choose, I'll choose Glimmer." She raised her arms, trying to stretch out the kinks in her back. "I'm too old to fall asleep in a chair, but its better than the couch." She looked over at her brother, no change.

"I know." Her father explained, "You shouldn't have to be on call 24/7. To survive this job you need at least ten if not twelve hours of sleep, in a real bed, not a couch, or bedside chair. I understand your reasoning for not leaving him. He's done it for you, when you were four, now you're trying to return the favour. But I am glad you did sleep, a little at least. You need to be focused at all times; otherwise you'll make a mistake that will cost lives."

His daughter nodded, "I know that. Shortly after Christmas Glimmer starting refusing to do any of the chores we have to do to keep things going; get supplies, get new space set up for new members, do recon, make meals, school run. Madame and I are the only ones who go scouting, because- I don't honestly know why, but we do. Scouting was the only job I had, other than dealing with Hordak. There were others I could count on to do the other jobs. Unless it stayed quiet, or you two happened to be there."

"You can't be expected to do that, and protect Etheria. You'll burn out without down time. I didn't have help until you were old enough. I couldn't risk one of you getting hurt. Chopping wood, seeing to the animals, making and sharpening weapons, harvesting food, going for supplies." Her father said, sitting down in his chair, "Royalty has a responsibility to set a good example otherwise there will be a panic. I don't think Glimmer can handle it. You can though, and you're not Royalty, even if I was once king. It's one of the reasons there are very few people on Etheria you've told who I actually am."She nodded. "As King Randor used to tell me, a king isn't one who perches himself on a throne, he goes to see to the needs of his people. Why doesn't he take his own advice for once? He knows damn well what's happening on Etheria, but he has yet to realize they need more than his help to defeat the Horde. You're very good under pressure, one of the reasons Angella chose you as leader." Her father explained

"I wasn't always this good. I called my older brother a big jerk when he told me what happened to you. If I was good under pressure I wouldn't have said that. I would have bitten my tongue."

"And did you mean it? No, I don't think so. You were thirteen. A lot of things happened to you at that age. Sometimes we say things we don't mean. He knows you didn't mean it. You were upset, confused, hurt, maybe even scared. Besides, that was fourteen years ago. He's most likely forgotten by now. He has had other things to worry about. Don't worry about it. How is he?"

His daughter shrugged. "No change. It feels as if I could see what he saw while I was asleep. I'm not sure how, but I did. It wasn't a strong connection, but it was there, for a time. I'm not sure what broke it though." She replied, her blue eyes reflecting his concern, she yawned again.

"It's a gift. Certain people have it, especially in situations such as this. Your mother tried to reach him, in the same way, but it didn't work. That's when she knew you'd be the one."

"She was right." She looked deep into her father's eyes, "Father, I know this will open old scars, but you may be the only person who could answer this; is there anything else I can do to help him? I've tried to talk to him, but the only thing I get is the squeeze of the hand. I feel so helpless. We've always been so open and can feel each other even if I'm on Etheria. I could even feel him while I was asleep."

Her father nodded in understanding, "Other than what you're doing no, there's nothing else we can do. You're feeling the way you are because you have a physic bond with him. He's trying to reach out for you, and it's why you have been feeling him since before I came to get you. Once you get a tight connection, you might be able to see what he's seeing in more depth, as if you're actually there. You might even have to face your own demons of the past thanks to the jewel's powers."

"You mean like relive things that already happened?" She-Ra questioned.

"Well, only, in your mind. I mean it feels real enough, but it's already happened. Somewhat." Her father clarified. "Thanks to the jewel's magic. It's almost as if you're transported into your mind's eye, and in order to get out, you have to relive certain events the way the jewel plays them out. You may have to relive things that have happened when you're brother was there with you, but things rent always as they seem. Or while you were here on Eternia. I can't say for sure what those events might be. You might be the only one able to get him out of there."

"In that case, the rebellion is going to have to go on without me."

"And while I can't speak for him knowing his sister's here now he'd be grateful for your help."

"I know. He'll hate me later, but when he left me on Etheria last year, that was the first time I saw him cry since we were children. He's always been so emotionally held together, for my benefit. In truth I didn't want to go either, but I knew the rebellion needed me. When we parted for the last time, it was like I was so overwhelmed with what had just happened, the only thing I could do was cry."

"Nobody said there was anything wrong with that." Grayskull replied. "Admittedly he didn't want you to go. It was said years ago the two guardians of Greyskull would have their own wars to fight when the evil spread across the universe. I don't think He-Man ever considered it would be his little sister who would go, especially since he had only found her a year and a half earlier. He knows you can take care of yourself. He's seen you do it several times, and you did protect Adora without his help. Saying goodbye to you was the hardest thing he's ever had to do. He won't admit this to even me, but he was in the same state. He had no idea when he'd see you again. Watching you and Adora go through that portal, felt as if someone ripped the piece of his heart or soul out of him, which had barely been patched up together. I felt the same, but I knew the day would come sooner or later. Why do you think I sent him? I could have gone, but that wouldn't have been the same. Besides, not very many people know I'm your father, and I know there are reasons for that."

"There is and thank you for understanding." She-Ra's eyes nearly popped out of her head, "Father, all this time, I thought that was the Sorceress. I had no idea you had anything to do with that."

"It was, in a sense." Her father replied, "I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, to overhear their conversation or should I say more of an argument. He was already planning on following, but he also had to worry about Skeletor, who would take his absence as the perfect time to ambush Castle Greyskull. The sorceress' reassurance wasn't helping, so I stepped in for the extra reassurance. It was as if he forgot I was there."

"No."His daughter protested. "He didn't expect you to jump in and take over. You barely recovered from a serious injury. But to take on someone you've had very little experience dealing with, that wouldn't sit well with either of us. He didn't want to leave knowing there was a possibility Skeletor would make another attempt on Greyskull. Not once did it cross either of our minds that you couldn't handle it. You did it the first several times without either of our help. You saw the change in Keldor neither of us even imagined. You're the one who got rid of Hordak the first time. I don't know what would have happened if you didn't. But Skeletor isn't Hordak, he's much more resilient. He has more threatening powers. It's why He-Man told me never to take him on alone. The only time I have, is when I didn't have time to get help. It wasn't fun."

"You don't want to. There have been times where your brother wakes up in a cold sweat during the 'quiet phases.' Each and every time he's been right." Her father objected. "This is your job now. My role isn't to take the job from him, never will. I just lend a hand when needed. But he has a responsibility to you to. To make sure you had a head start against Hordak. Something from what I understand he had no idea was coming."

"I know. Hordak was pretty surprised. When I got there the Rebels were trying to plan an attack, but they weren't doing a very good job. I tried to give them a better idea of how to do it, but that's when Glimmer started getting defensive with me. If He-Man not stepped in to help we would have more than just a fight with Hordak. But thankfully the results were in our flavor. Bright moon was freed, but I wouldn't be going home with my brother. Every time I have to see him off, I try to hug a little bit longer, and he holds me just a bit harder, so we don't have to say goodbye. But it the end it never works."

She looked into his eyes, "But when I came out of that tent, to find you talking with Micah the idea that something horrible happened hit me with full force. I had no idea Skeletor would find the jewel and cause havoc again." She paused, the words stuck in her throat, "What's he going through? What did you go through?" Those words would do more harm than good and open old scars that took years to close.

Grayskull swallowed as if he was trying to figure out a way to answer his daughter's questions, "I knew sooner or later you were going to ask me that very question. I've been trying to figure out an answer for you, but I don't have one. What I do know is from hours of research. The jewel is powered by dark magic, and uses fear against its target. It sends the person who it hits into darkness, but it's a mind attack, that's why he looks unconscious to us. But unlike me, he had one not been prepared for the attack and two was weakened prior to the jewel being used. Skeletor planned this attack, I'm sure of it. Little by little he's been wearing his out until were so exhausted, we're not ready for it."

"I've been so busy with Hordak and the rebellion I had no idea this is what he was planning.

Her father looked into her eyes, "Shyara, this wasn't your fault. Even you can't be in two places at once. Had I known what going on this morning I could have been there, but I wasn't. I knew what hit him seconds after I saw him, but it was Duncan and your mother who confirmed it."He explained, cutting his daughter off before she could respond. "For me it was a series of flashbacks, but it was only when your mother had the strong connection with me that it was like our life was replaying but in the way the jewel portrayed them. Once you have the same sort of connection with your brother that might happen with you too. Just be prepared, the jewel makes it seem real. But it's not. I'm not sure if anyone told you, but I just got hit because Duncan was in danger.

"He's your best friend. I saw what happened from the window."

"That's right he is. The only thing that was on my mind was Duncan's safety. It felt like I was being electrocuted. All I remember is hearing your brother's voice, and seeing your mother when I woke up. It's said that when someone gets hit with this jewel, they're best chance of survival is to be released from the jewels hold within seventy two hours. But even as a physician and Scientist, Duncan didn't have the knowledge or know how to actually do that. Your mother did, but she had never combined her magic with Greyskull's magic- the power of the ancients. As you know we're both trained in magic, but it's said if a Sorceress does exactly what she did for your brother without the aid of another sorceress or someone with the same level of power, it is considered suicide. I have the same level of power, but I have never done what she did. Lana has. Connecting telepathic is a whole different story. What you may or may not know is we met at the magical academy. But I've become very good at shielding my thoughts, for obvious reasons, which made getting me out of the 'dream dimension', all the more difficult, even for advanced placement sorceress such as your mother."

"I've been hit with his power. It feels like acid biting into your skin. He-Man had no choice, but to rush me to Greyskull, because there was nothing he could do. Only Mom or the Sorceress has the power to heal that. I couldn't do anything for a few days afterwards. There is no point in blaming yourself. Skeletor knew what he was doing. He's done it before. Skeletor is Hordak's former student. He's just as much trouble as Hordak, or worse."

"But that's just it Shyara. I should have been there!"

"Father, even if you knew what happened, there was no way you could have gotten there in time. I don't know if it was something King Randor said, but it seems as if He-Man is pushing himself more than usual. That worries me. From what he's said in his letters Skeletor has been causing havoc day and night for over two weeks. If he needed help he should have sent for me."

"Your mother had her hands full protecting Greyskull." Her father closed his eyes for several seconds as if to refocus himself. "It's been like that for some time. Duncan told me about King Randor put a ban in place preventing him from going to you without consulting him first. And while he won't leave you hanging just to give the King the benefit of the doubt it also seems as if he's trying to prove something. He certainly doesn't need to prove it to me. I know he can handle the job, he has, for what, ten years."

"Yes, it almost feels like he's being tested, as if King Randor doesn't trust him to protect Eternia anymore. I don't really know until I talk to him. "Her daughter objected, "King Randor may have said something to him that sparked a nerve."

"Well I admit things have been tense as of late. Every time your name is brought up King Randor is saying something negative about you or Adora." He looked outside, it was still dark. "The king has gotten accustom to receiving his reports in person. Duncan was one step ahead of me, so I don't have to think of a reason for his son's absence. Your worry is understandable."

"I don't know what I'd do without him." Grayskull nodded, "Maybe it was something he said about me, or Adora. I see him when I need help or the rare quiet little visit, which turn into working vacation. There's too much to do and not enough time to sit down to actually have a decent conversation. I do remember you both being there during the storm." She looked out the window, "What time is it?"

"Not even dawn. Lana and your mother are sleeping. By the time I got your mother to bed and tried to sleep myself, I couldn't. I paced for awhile, until I wore myself out and I tried to sleep again. The next time I got up, I checked on you two, and found you were sleeping uncomfortably on my chair, so I figured your neck would be a lot happier with you if you were on the couch. I remember finding you there while you were still in school, unable to get back to your room after cramming for something. Or studying with your brother. After you fell asleep, I went back to bed for a few hours. The next thing I know the communication channel from the palace pulls me out of a deep sleep and I'm ordered by the king to get to the palace. I haven't spoken to him since last night. I explained there was a family emergency. He ordered me to come back, I ignored him. My family takes propriety, and he knows it. "

She-Ra looked deep within her father's eyes again, "He can't be serious. You saw what Micah and Casta did, they told me to go. You're not one of his men. You're his friend. He shouldn't be giving you orders to get back there when you know your son is seriously injuries and your wife needs you. I'm sorry if I-"

"Don't be." Her father said cutting her off. "It was a legitimate question. I should have been ready for it, but I was caught off guard. You're not likely to know what happened anyways. I'm not the kind of person who show's their emotions that way Shyara. I've always had to be strong emotionally. And no, King Randor doesn't know what happened to me, he just knows I was hurt, severely and nearly died because of it. Duncan was there, he stayed with me the entire time. He wasn't officially in King Randor's service until after I had 'disappeared'. Dekker pushed back his retirement because of Hordak, and the fact he and Lana were courting by this time. Only Dekker and I know about that part." His daughter squeezed his hand.

His daughter nodded, "And while I know your blaming yourself, there was nothing you could have done. I've seen him get hit by a freeze ray or stun cannon. He was fine. He'll be fine this time too, it just might take a bit longer. He's so good with a sword; it's almost as if it's part of him."

"His sword became a part of him when he took on his full power. And being he inherited his sword from me, that might have something to do with it too." Her father agreed. "I know it's hard on me, only because I wasn't there when I could have been. But for you, you had no idea what was happening. Where is this coming from? You know he would have called you had he needed you. He even confessed to Duncan he needed you more than ever, but the only reason why he didn't call on you before now is two things, one you could have got hurt alongside of him, or two King Randor would have found out you were here and made your lives more difficult. Did something like this happen on Etheria? Something that's making you blame yourself. This is not like you."

"Somewhat. But you may have already heard this story, once or twice. I gave Teela the condensed version. But for you, I'll give you the long version, as long as you have time."

"I'm sure you and your brother have a different perceptive on what happened. He wasn't there all the time; he just came to help you. I have yet to hear your version. King Randor may want me back at the palace, but he takes his sweet time before he's ready to see me. And right now you're more important. I really don't want to see the king after the way he treated me yesterday."

"Okay if you're sure." She paused leaning back. _"It started because Hordak felt he needed more slaves. Before I knew it I found myself trying to protect over one hundred slaves, wrongly taken from their village, and send Hordak back to where he belonged. For that I needed help. Taking refuge behind tall boulders I called the Sorceress. She told me she'd send help. I told the villagers to get back to the minds, and assured them I'd hold of the troopers giving them a chance to get away. One of the villagers, Collin reminded me I couldn't take them on by myself. There were too many. That was when an RPG came out of nowhere and found myself pushed out of the way, only to realize I wouldn't be alone, my brother had come to the rescue for about the thousandth time."_

_"_Where was I when he did that many rescues?"

She paused to control herself after bursting out in laughter. "I'm not sure but it just feels like that many. I don't think I'm anywhere close to the actually amount of times he's come to my rescue, in my lifetime." Her father nodded and she continued. "Anyway He-Man reassured Collin I'd have help and stated that 'this was our job and he should get to safety while he still could.' Once the villagers were gone, on their way to the Etherian minds, the only form of safety in the area He-Man and I realized we had to find a way to stop the troopers and get back to the mind. We improvised using a water tower."

She-Ra closed her eyes as the memory of the day replayed in the back of her mind, _"Once we got to the minds, the villagers explained what had happened. Being he didn't know Hordak the way I do, that was when He-Man realized the villagers didn't care about their homes and possessions, as much as they did their freedom. Freedom is a rare feeling on Etheria. But that was at the same time we realized the two of us wouldn't be able to defend the villagers, and defeat the troopers without help. We only had so long before the Hordak found out we had retreated. Knowing that I couldn't leave the villagers alone, He-Man told me he'd stay with them, while I went to get help. But that's when my nightmare took over. I had to leave him. I've never had to do that before. Collin assured me he'd do whatever he could to help, and we went our separate ways with my promise to be as fast as I could. When Swifty and I landed in the whispering woods, I told the rebels what was going on and that we needed their help. Glimmer however stated there were no resources available. But I didn't have time to argue with her. I had to get back. My sense of worry took over when I realized my brother had been hurt, and I had to get back as quickly as Swifty could fly. But I was too late. By the time I got back, without help, He-Man was buried, but the villagers were out. Collin explained He-Man had been hit by the giant freeze cannon, and he had no_ _choice, but to get up and hold up the ceiling for the villagers to get out. From what He-Man told me Hordak decided to use He-Man's separation from me to his advantage. We both know he's very good with a sword, better than I am. By the time everything was calm again I realized Glimmer had lied to me, and found that 1/3 of the Rebel army was sitting around the camp fire doing nothing. For his bravery and leadership Collin was awarded a rank of Leader, while Glimmer was sent back to Bright moon to study. Ever since I've blamed myself. I left my brother to do a job meant for two people."_

"Seems like he had quite an adventure. Had I known, I would have come with him. I know you may blame yourself for what happened, but I also know what your brother told me after he came back. He said you saved him. You'd become buried with him when the cave fell in for the second time. You didn't let him leave until you knew the freeze ray had completely warned off. I really don't see any reason for you to blame yourself. But then again, if it happened here, he'd blame himself if something happened to you. He does it to me all the time now. But in many ways, that's what makes him so good at his job. He takes the safety of others before his own. You needed the help, and between the two of you, you knew the fastest route to the main camp. He wouldn't risk the people's safety to just go with you, besides Swift Wind flies faster when he has one passenger. I know, I've seen it. In fact you and your brother used to argue over who was faster, Battle Cat or Swift Wind." When he felt the coarse fur of his son's tiger he reached down to rub him for reassurance. "I haven't figured that out yet."

"Neither have I. I really don't think we'll ever have time to figure that one out. We're not in one place long enough to even have a decent conversation before something goes wrong." She paused. "I'm not really sure if it would have made all that much of a difference. You would have gotten hit. Besides, wouldn't that leave Eternia unprotected? I know the masters are there, but even they have their limits."

"It's understandable. Unlike the rebellion, the masters are an amazing group of people who watch each other's back. If He-Man needs to leave they'd know about it. The alternate leader takes over, and if Duncan and I aren't there that's usually Mek. If he's back by now."

Grayskull sighed, "I really didn't want to get out of bed this early. King Randor has woken me every day this week; before dawn, to tell me to get to the palace."

"No wonder you look as if you're going to fall asleep on your feet. Even if you weren't, as exhausted as you are, you're his father the emotional bond between you two is stronger, and then we'll ever be. Always has. Who knows it might be because he's the first born, or..."

The sting of tears burned her eyes putting an end to her statement. It took her several minutes before she was able to continue. "He may not admit it to me, but when it was once thought you had 'died' a part of him died along with you. I'm sure the same thing happened when he returned to Eternos to find out Adora and I were gone, and discovered Mother disappeared. It was only when he got us back, he slowly, but surely started to heal. Learning I was going to Etheria didn't help."

"That happens. Duncan said the same thing happened to him when I got hit, fifteen years ago. He admitted the same thing happened when it was thought I was dead. But like always his duty to you and Eternia came before any emotion. But like, you and He-Man, he got me back even if I'm not related to him. I can't imagine how you must be feeling right now. Your brother understands all too well why you decided to go to Etheria. He knows you can handle it. What he doesn't like about it, is not being able to be there with you. He has a job here, and you have a job there." He paused for several minutes to pour his daughter a cup of tea, "Here, this used to help your mother, it should help you. It's rare now, but sometimes she still needs it. I steeped it for two minutes; if it's steeped anymore it becomes bitter."

She accepted the cup and took a sip, the flavours dancing on her tongue like fireworks on New Year's Eve."Razzleberry tea? Where did you get this?" She questioned taking another sip, to make sure she was right. "I can't get it on Etheria."

"It's very difficult to find here too. Your mother craved it when she was pregnant with you, so I know about her special stash. She told me to make you some. She also grows the plant variety in her greenhouse. I remember you liking it." He looked outside again his eyes, moving from the window, back to his son, so still. "Are you going to be alright? I may have a father- son relationship, but truthfully, you two have always been closer than I will ever be. You're the one he really spent time with; since I was busy with stuff I had to do. Until two and a half years ago, he thought I was dead. You were the only one he had."

"Yes, but he thought I was dead too. If there was some way I could have signalled him, I would have."

"I know. Your brother knows that. I don't think Hordak would have made it so easy. Remember the heck of a time you had getting your mother and I out? I still have no idea how you were able to do that."

"Considering I wasn't feeling well, I wasn't about to send my brother to the Fright Zone alone. I knew about certain secrets, and we snuck in. I had no idea what we'd find though."

"He gave that journal to me when he started working at the Palace. He knew if I didn't have it with me, it could mean only two things; I was alive and needed help, or I had lost it. It didn't occur to me I left it on Etheria shortly after a dinner conference with Micah. But how he knew I was in trouble is still a mystery. He certainly hasn't told me. The only reason he didn't show his emotion to either you or Adora, was he wasn't about to let either of you lose focus. It may not have been a planned rescue mission, but you did it."

Fighting with all her might to keep her emotions in check, she nodded "I know. I knew about the hidden dungeons long before we went to rescue you, yet it never crossed my mind."

"You weren't supposed to. You thought I was dead. The important thing is you found us. Not in the way you were planning to, but you did." He then turned his attention to the task at hand. "I've got get going."

"If there was anyway I could go in your place-"

Her father's words cut her off, "No, the king won't have it. This is something I have to do, provide Teela and Duncan get an update and figure out what King Randor wants. Besides we don't want the king to know you're here remember? Your brother needs you here. So does your mother. Hopefully I'll have more answers for you later. Duncan attempted to talk to the king again about what is known as 'the forbidden topic of conversation' with no success. I'll try. If needed, I'll pull him from the throne and take over myself. I was a king for just over ten years coronation and all. Duncan said we have no idea where King Miro is and I'm the only 'King' in the vacuity. Johanna and Stephen have their own kingdoms, and problems to worry about. Adam has other things on his mind right now. I'm sure he'd understand if I take the throne temporarily." Grayskull said placing a gentle kiss on his daughter's forehead.

_'So that's where he got that nickname! Father used to call me princess as a child. He-Man just added 'of power' to Princess to make Princess of Power, his nickname. I wasn't a princess for obvious reasons but still.'_ She-Ra thought as he reached to her bag, "No, I don't think he'd mind. Before I forget can you give this to Mek for me? Teela said he was on a mission. I'd bring it myself, but I don't want him to get into trouble."

Grayskull smiled, "Sure, I was just waiting for you to remember to ask. He should be back by the time I get there and when I see him I'll pull him aside and give him an update. Mek will understand, and if he could be here, he would. He's known your brother since they were in school. With you here, I've a funny feeling he'll wake up before I come back."

"I'm not leaving him, I can't. My heart won't let me. I've failed him once..."

Her father cut off her statement. "You did nothing of the sort! What you did, was what you had to do. You have a duty to the Etherian people. He would have blamed himself if you got hit alongside of him. That's why he didn't send for you until after the fact. He had too much going on, there wasn't any time. There isn't time to play the blame game Shyara. You have never failed your brother your emotions have your heart doing cartwheels, but right now you have to focus on the here and now."

"Why didn't I remember you always have the right sort of console needed for these sorts of situations?"

Grayskull smiled, fighting back the tears, "I'm a father. It's funny though I remember telling your brother something similar when he blamed himself for one of your injuries." His eyes moved to the clock housed on the manual. "Alright I have to go now. I'll be back as soon as I can. If your mother wakes up, make sure she goes back to bed. She didn't sleep last night. She never does when one of you needs her. Who knows how long it will stay quiet. She's going to need more time to get back to full strength; the emotional roller coaster she's on isn't helping. Don't worry I'll. Be careful." She watched him mount his sky speeder and disappeared into the forest.

She hated seeing him like this, so still, so weak. It reminded her of the of the last time they were in this position, but as she recalled it was she would was sick, or that's what she remembered at least. 'A _dragon pox epidemic plagued our kingdom and while this castle was in its centre it spread quickly. Many died during that long, cold season; both of us fell gravely ill. Duncan, Lana and our parents had the illness when they were children and it was the sort of illness that once exposed to it, you rarely got it for a second time. Because there were others in our kingdom that needed the medication, we had one vial. And for whatever reason, He-Man gave it to me, even if he knew he needed it just as much. I don't know how we did it but we both survived. A lot of people didn't."_

Moving from the chair to the bed, She-Ra took his hand in hers. It was her turn to talk to him. She wondered if her father was right in telling her that she might be the link he needed to get out of this. She had never done it before but this was the chance she had to see how close they really were. Once she was settled in her father's chair she closed her eyes, feeling her brother's hand wrap around hers, she took a deep breath and started speaking.

Her hand was visibly shaking as she linked her fingers around her brother's fingers, as they did his hand seemed to tighten, _"I've always promised myself I'd be there whenever you needed me. But this time, it didn't happen. I had other things requiring my attention this morning. I know you'd say it wasn't my fault, but I can't help it. You been there for me so many times, I've lost count. There were even some times when I didn't call you, and while you may have been watching or just knew, you came just in time, as you always have. When you rescued Adora and me, you nearly died at the hands of Hordak. All I could do was watch from the shadows. I promised myself it wouldn't happen." _

_"The first time you came to help me, I nearly lost you in a cave in, you ended up defending an entire village, a job meant for two people. While I knew I had to get help, it nearly cost your life. The next time you came to help me, it was to stop Horde Prime's ship and you ended up having to follow me into space, without oxygen." _

_"Then without me knowing, Hordak came after you on Eternia, and used you as ransom to get to Adora. I could go on, but you know as well as I do, it was because of your job. While this is one of the many reasons you are the perfect person to protect Eternia, it also scares me. I won't confess this to very many people, but it always has. Ever since I got you back into my life I knew the Etherian people needed my help. While you understood in the end, I knew there would be a time when you would need my help. When that time came, I wasn't there, but I am now. You've made a lot of sacrifices over the years. But as I recently found out, you cannot have peace without a sacrifice. You're strong enough to do this. Follow my voice big brother, follow my voice and let me be a beacon to get you home. I can't do this without you! Eternia and Etheria cannot win this fight without you. I certainly can't protect both planets alone. Teela needs you. The masters need you, I need you! If I could take back all those horrible things I said about you when you told me father had 'died' I would. If only I could have been there sooner. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you when I wasn't there to help you I'm not going to let you push yourself to the brink of exhaustion just because king Randor has decided you don't need it. You do. We both do." _

The grip around her hand tightened. Tighter than it had for his mother, Teela, and Duncan, but not enough to hurt her, but enough to provide even the littlest of reassurance. "Thank goodness, he heard me. It's just a matter of time now. I just need to make a strong connection to get him out of there."

"It certainly seems like it to me." A voice said from behind her, but she didn't notice. It was only when a gentle hand was placed on her shoulder; she sensed the presence of someone else in the room. Her mother. "Have you been awake all night Shyara? Your brother wouldn't want you to give up sleep."

"It's alright, I slept. The time change helps a little." She reminded her. "No matter how hard I try, I can't leave him. Besides with the grip he has around my hand, I don't think I'll be going anywhere. If I sleep, it'll be at his bedside. He knows I'm here. He's not going to let me leave him now."

"I wouldn't doubt it. Somehow he always has. But he also knows when you need him too. I remember when he was a child. There was one night, he was feeling rather miserable, but he heard you crying. You were in pain and he knew it. Nothing, I seemed to do help. Duncan and your father went to the village to provide aid, while I stayed and cared for the two of you. I couldn't simply use my magic; it has to run its course. Regardless of his condition, he scampered out of bed, raced to my side and said '_Mom, it's time for me to take over, so you can sleep. You have been taking care of us for two days straight. She needs me.'_ Ignoring my protests he picked you up, settled himself in my padded rocking chair, and rocked you to sleep. The next morning I found you both asleep in the same position I had left him in. Sometime during the night your fever had broken. Within three day you both were well again."

"That was around the time of the dragon pox epidemic, wasn't it?" Her mother nodded, "It's funny; I was thinking the exact same thing. I was four, and he was ten. I remember mostly images. You hovering over us, trying to do what you could to make us feel better, but I also remember He-Man holding me, giving up the medication, even if he'd need it just as much. Somehow he's never had any side effects from not getting the medication. He tells me his empathetic powers aren't as pronounced as mine are, but they are. He wouldn't have known I needed him had he not had them. I've never been able to remind him."

"Oh, he knows. It's just very unlikely he'll ever admit to it. Your father did something similar for me years ago, it could have been something as simple as catching me when I stumbled down some awkward stairs. From that day on we were inseparable. And to think, it took him almost two years to find the courage to actually propose. Don't ever tell either of them I told you. He'll deny it."

"I won't." her daughter promised, "But Mom, every time he comes to help me, its like part of him knows I can take care of myself, but another part, reminds him I'm his 'little sister' and its his job to protect me. We've always been there for each other."

"Yes. Maybe it's because of the time you've lost. He knows you can take care of yourself, he's seen you do it. But knowing that you're going up against Hordak, doesn't exactly sit well with him sometimes. He came after Adora, and while you had just come along for the ride, he captured you too. I don't know what that demon did to you Shyara but I do know what Marlena told me. You were unconscious for several days because you did your job. But King Randor has yet to see that. Instead he's put more pressure on your brother then either of them could handle. Maybe it was to sooth his own guilt or blame someone other than himself. What I do know was every spare minute he had was dedicated to finding you and Adora. But he also had someone else to look after and protect, the prince. The king didn't ask if he would be willing to look after his son as his bodyguard, he assumed. But it did make things easier in a sense. Prince Adam was the link in finding Adora."

She-Ra nodded in understanding," Even so, that seems unfair don't you think? He's been looking after the twins since they were three; mostly without my help. It wasn't until I graduated from the military academy that I had the training to help look after them. What would have happen if he asked if would consider taking the job again? Rather than telling him. There's a difference."

"Possibly. It's amazing how different the two of them are. Your father and I were married long before he was chosen for king. But with King Randor, until he met Marlena, everyone thought he'd have to an arranged marriage. In fact before he disappeared, his father King Miro had wanted his son to settle down and was in the continuous process of finding suitable courtiers for Randor since no one had caught his son's eye. King Randor knew he needed an heir, but he wanted to fulfil his obligations with the right person. As soon as he helped your mother from her ship, he knew she was the one."

"It was shortly after our kingdom signed the alliance agreement with Eternos, that I actually met Marlena. I knew from your father how traditional he was but he loved her so much. But with Marlena she wasn't from Eternia like we were. There were rumours for years. Even now, some people still talk behind her back stating she's an alien and isn't suited for Queen. But that's not true. King Randor on the other hand isn't the kind of person to ask for anything. He gives orders and expects those under him to follow without question. You may not know this but Duncan's had the same problem, shortly before he was going to take over for Dekker. The day before he was scheduled to leave, Hordak showed up. Duncan knew your father would need an extra pair of hands. He was in constant contact with Dekker and when he found out what was happening here Dekker not only understood, he agreed with Duncan and delayed his retirement. King Randor ordered Duncan to return. He refused. Your father was hurt and needed his assistance, otherwise he would of died. He got three days before the next attack, and this time the results were in Hordak's favour. I may not have known the truth then but I did know, without a body, I couldn't plan a funeral or a burial."

"It's starting to make sense. King Randor feels if he orders his people to do what he wants, there's no way he'd be refused. But surely King Randor knew Father needed help, otherwise he would not have survived."

"He did, but his need of a Captain of the Guards took priority. He never liked the one he had, Dekker. All he has to do now is make an order to get someone to do something he wants, even if they have other things to do. I have a feeling King Randor is going to get a shock to the system if your father takes over."

"We won't know until we have a chance to talk with the king. I, for one am not looking forward to doing that but it has to be done. If I don't get it off my chest I'll say something I'll regret."

"With the way King Randor treated you the last time you were here, I wouldn't be surprised. Just because he's king doesn't give him the right to treat you the way he did. You may have not said anything to me but I know. Your brothers the same way and I see him a lot more then I see you. And I have certain abilities king Randor doesn't seem to notice. I was watching the day he called you into his office. I was not impressed in the least. I'm not about to go up to him and tell him that though, that would cause more problems than they're worth."

"It's not just when I'm here either. I don't like my reputation being scared with the rumours. Both Adam and He-Man have said King Randor is spreading gossip about certain things he knows little or nothing about. If anything that's what's stressing him out." She then looked into her mother's eyes, "Don't worry about me, and get back to bed. I'll be alright."

"I know. We will sort this out." Her mother promised and headed back to bed. She watched her head down the corridor, hoping she went to bed, and not to her window perch.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

He-Man groaned softly as he began waking up. He-Man woke to find himself staring at a vaguely familiar ceiling of grey stone. His whole body ached, but he was thankful he was alive. He frowned slightly as he tried to remember what had happened. Recalling only he'd been talking to Duncan and Teela as Duncan bandaged his arm, seeing his father, who told him to stay with him and not to fall unconscious. Being loaded into the wind raider, his head on Teela's lap. He rolled onto his side as he prepared to get up, and found Battle Cat's intense, yellow eyes right in front of him and his paw pushed him back down the to the mattress telling him not to get up yet. "He-Man, you're awake!" the cat growled gratefully. "Everyone's been really worried."

He blinked several times, trying to clear his blurred vision, "And from what I remember, I have you to thank Cat. Without your speed I would not have made it to the palace in time to get help." His eyes moved from his feline partner to the woman who slept at his bedside. At first he thought it was his mother, but it was only when he looked again, he realized it was someone else, his sister. Her long blond hair pulled tightly in a French braid, the way she had done it up in preparation for bed as long as he could remember. For a moment it was as if he had been transported back into the past, and saw her as a young girl, but it was only when he took a second look he saw the woman his sister had become, "Whatever you do Cat," He whispered brushing a strand of blond hair out of her face, "don't wake her. I don't know how long she's been here. If I know her as well as I do, she hasn't slept. She couldn't. She was the one who got me out of that place. She's the only one who could."

She-Ra's eyes sprang open and was instantly at her brother's side "Thank the ancients; I was beginning to think you were never going to wake up." A voice said from the chair next to him.

"Hey Sis. So I wasn't dreaming. You're really here?" He looked around, recognizing he was in his room, at Castle Greyskull.

"Yes, I am." She-Ra replied looking deep into her brother's eyes, "How are you feeling?"

He moaned, finding he had no strength. "Weak. It's not like anything I've felt before. Every adventure we had together replayed the way the jewel twisted it thanks to its magic. We couldn't do anything but well do our jobs. But in order for both of us to get out alive we had to go through the "challenges. I'm just glad it didn't turn out that way in real life." He looked into his sisters' eyes, "Duncan was right!" He then looked into her eyes, "I can't believe it happened again. Father was unconscious for twenty four hours. I was lucky. I wasn't out that long. I don't have time! Not only will you have more problems than you need, but I'm not sure how Duncan will excuse Adam's disappearance. I can't release the power until I know it's safe to do so."

"I know. I don't think 'he's safe' will cut it this time." His sister added. "Unfortunately I don't usually have to think of an excuse; unless I'm here. And I'm sorry to say I don't have one this time. But I think Duncan did come up with a temporary solution. He and father had to go back to the palace."

"You're right sis. You're lucky even. One day you'll come to realize that when it comes to King Randor, he's got a mind of his own and he doesn't always do what you expect. In a lot of ways, that's why he's such a great king, but in other ways, it makes him…difficult."

Her genuinely smiled and said brightly, "That reminds me of someone else I know. I wonder who." She moved closer to her brother and gave his side a push with her elbow.

"Father." Her brother immediately grinned and replied, "If you're referring to me, I have no idea who you're talking about. I'm an open book. Father's the one who has the stubbornness not me." He winked at her quickly and his sister immediately laughed.

_'Well now I know where you got yours from even if you won't admit it to anyone, even your own sister who knows you better than anyone.'_ "Now, that's the brother I know!" she exclaimed happily. She wrapped her arm around his and leaned on him. "I was truly beginning to worry that I wouldn't see him or whether he was still stuck in the dream dimension."

"No, I'm here." He then looked over at his sister, "Mother once told me the only way a person inflicted by the power of the jewel can be released from its hold is by someone from the outside creating a mental link, binding themselves with the person. That's why you were so upset, you could feel him, but you had no idea what to do. But now you're old enough, your powers are more pronounced."

"That's the same thing she told me. In fact seconds after I sat beside you, and started talking, it was like you could hear everything I said. But it wasn't after I gained contact that I actually saw what you were seeing. I'm just glad it was enough. Duncan said we've been close since he can remember and now that I'm on Etheria it may have made our bond even stronger. But the problem is, I'm never here."

"It has nothing to do with the fact your here or not sis. Duncan's right. It's the bond we share. Not many people have that ability, but we do. And by the way, thanks."

"You're welcome. How much of what I said did you actually hear?" She-Ra asked.

"Everything. And while you know what I'm going to say, I'll say it anyways; don't blame yourself. It won't help. We both know how much you're needed on Etheria." He said looking into her baby blue eyes he had fallen in love with when she was born. "The only thing that would have happened had you been here was the possibility of you getting hit along side of me. I couldn't let that happen. Hordak's aim is getting better. I remember what happened to father, I saw what happened. But what you don't know was I saw what was going to happen before it did. It's one of the reasons why I went out there. And there have been times I've had flashbacks of certain things prior to someone alerting me of problems on Etheria."

"You knew what was going to happen before it happened? A premonition? Have you had one before?"

"No, not like that. I mean I've been known to predict what might happen if I didn't get there, but that's thanks to my own experience. Adam has though. About Adora. He knew about when Adora got hurt, but he didn't tell me until after the fact. I think he thought I wouldn't believe him just like his father did whenever he brought his sister up. The more and more I think about it, it's almost as if you had one too. You warned me not to go out there." Her brother replied pushing himself to his feet.

"I was what, thirteen? I'm not sure if it was a premonition. I was scared. I wanted you to stay with me. I didn't want Hordak to hurt you again. I had the same heart wrenching feeling when I found you stuck in that cave. That's why I've been blaming myself, it's got to be. It was the same sort of thing I went through when you got trapped in that cave to be honest. I really thought I was going to lose you."

"I know. Looking back now, I was too, but somehow I knew Father needed my help. As for the last time I was on Etheria to help you, my only priority was the villagers, not myself. Just as I did yesterday, Mom was in danger sis, I couldn't leave her hanging especially when she doesn't know Skeletor as well as I do. Nor does Skeletor know how close she is to either of us. I wasn't going to lose her again." He sighed. "For now there is more than myself I need to worry about. You should be my main priority. It'll give me something to focus on."

"Nobody's saying what you did was wrong. You did what you had to do." His sister objected. "You saved a lot of people. Collin still talks about it. But just remember, even you need help from time to time."

"I never said I didn't." His hand touched the small of her back, reaching the exact spot where he felt the same continuous pain. "In my experience I've aggravated every muscle in my body at one point or another. But it just so happens while I was a medic I studied massage and healing. Not to the detail you did, but I've found some tricks of my own." He reached over to his bedside table pulled over the drawer found what he was looking for by touch and pulled back his hand. "I use it all the time. And what I'd also suggest is the shower. It's heated by the underground lava pools. It's said to have healing powers. It won't burn you, but it's very relaxing."

Accepting the medium sized jar she twisted off the lid and recognized the contents by smell, "Cherry blossom and White Mint. Rare combination. The shower does seem like a good idea."

He reached for her hand, "It will help sis. You really should think about using the time you have here as at least a little vacation. The heat will help loosen the muscles easing the pain."

"Father was right. It's high time I try to test the rebellion. They cannot expect me to do everything, every time. I can't be in more than one place at a time. Even I need sleep." She winced as she stood up.

"He's right. They can't expect you to be there for each and every emergency especially when they can handle it themselves." Her brother said wincing as he heard the slight crack "That's what you get for falling asleep in father's chair sis." '_At least I hope that's all it is,'_ He thought watching his sister head to the bathroom, healing ointment in hand_. 'Then again, I know how many times I've done it for her? Just as many as she's done it for me, so who am I to talk? The agonizing pain I feel from her isn't from falling asleep in that chair. There has to be some other cause of it. I just have to ask the right questions, the right way. If I don't, it will open old wounds which have only just begun to heal._' He thought before returning his attention back to his sister, "Take your time. You okay on your own?"

"I wouldn't be so sure, it's happened with Hordak. Every time I try to do something for myself he decides to cause havoc and Glimmer tells me to go deal with him as if she has no idea how to do it herself." She exchanged a wordless glance with him. "I think I can manage. You rest okay. I'll be back."

The small room was designed so both of them could be in the room at the same time without entering the others personal space. '_If there is one time I need a shower, it's today.' _There were several camp showers installed around the camp but they weren't all that private and only allowed for a quick wash. Nothing as relaxing as the shower here. Laundry days tended to be when they had any extra water or soap to spare at the end of the week. But with more rebels coming into the camp both were limited. She had resigned herself, not that she had much of a choice in the matter, to washing clothes in a nearby lake, but that didn't do much. It was later, during one of her rare home visits, she realized she would have to boil water and use a wash board to scrub them clean, a job she hadn't done since she was a child. She'd end up with a sore, achy back, she didn't have time for. It was rare moments like these, while she was at home, she could actually take a long, hot shower, or do laundry without worrying about Hordak.

When she finished and towelled off, dressed in a white terrycloth robe which hung on her side of the bathroom door. Now came the hard part, doing something decent with her hair. Waves of long blond locks fell down past her shoulders. As she sat in front of the mirror and reached for her brush, barely hearing the light tap on the bathroom door and the door creak open. "You look as if you could use some help." Her brother said, coming around behind her reaching for the brush before she was able to even pick it up.

"I don't recall you having an expertise with wild hair, especially my wild hair. I'm lucky it."

"No, not to the extent you do, but it's had its moments. May I remind you I used to brush your hair all the time?" He snatched the brush before she could even touch it and ran the brush through the wet tangles.

She didn't answer for several minutes, "How come I don't remember?"

"Because now you're protecting your own planet, you rarely have time to think of our childhood. To my knowledge your only worry is what Hordak is going to do next." Her brother said. It was only a guess but it was the only thing he had for an answer. "Besides the last time I brushed your hair for you was not a very good day for either of us. It was after father disappeared. Somehow, I think it was the only thing you had not to break down and cry anymore then you were. It was the only think I knew that would help. Adora may not be as likely to admit it but, she let me to the same thing to her. She was nine and even if you are thirteen years apart even then I got you mixed up constantly. Only difference, you wore glasses. But from behind, I was lucky. She came to me because of a fight she and Adam had, Adam went to you, since you had a different perspective than I did. That's one of the main reasons you were assigned to help look after them. When Adora got older it would be awkward for me. Marlena knew it too. It was her idea after all."

She nodded. "That's right that was my first assignment as a real guard. After I graduated needed to have that sort of assignment to get my feet wet so to speak. But for the life of me I can't remember why they were arguing to begin with."

"If you want my opinion it was the same thing all siblings go through, even twins. They were growing apart, doing things the other wouldn't want to do. Adora would go horseback riding with you, while Adam went fishing with me. Adora hates fishing, and Adam, doesn't have a horse, that I know of. Believe it or not you and I went through the same thing sis, even though we're not twins. Mother used to tell me it was because of the five year age difference, but we always tried to spend as much time together as we could. Using that to my advantage I told Adora, no matter what, Adam will never stop loving her, even after an argument. It made them closer. It made us closer, even if we don't see each other as much as we'd like. We still don't, for various reasons."

"I intend to try and change that if I can. Not sure how yet but speaking to King Randor will be a start." She reassured her brother. "My response was similar. But I also said _love is so powerful, nothing can take that away, even anger_. Speaking of which, Teela told me Adam chose you as his best man, and as you may know she picked me to stand alongside her. But I don't think I'm the right person for the job. I really haven't had any experience with boys. At least when I was younger anyways. When I was old enough to attend the military academy, I had a heck of a time hiding from them. I didn't have the same feelings they did. After I graduated Marlena found out I had certain problems and asked me to become her junior assistant. It was a year or two later I was switched to help you with the twins."

"I remember that. And I remember a certain young boy who sat behind you while we were still in school. He used to pull your braid all the time, as tempting as it was I sat beside you. If I did, I'd end up with a sister who was mad at me or a bruised shoulder. You may have been like seven, but you punched me hard. I'd watch out if I were Bow. He doesn't know you like I do."

"I did end up proving that very fact to him. It wasn't pretty. I don't think he'll try anything like that again. "She was silent for a few minutes before continuing. "Well, that's pretty obvious, that was Mek. He switched places with me. OH no, you don't mean he..."

"Had a crush in you; yes. Until he figured out who you were." Her brother said, "I've known Mek since we were like four maybe five. He thought he would get your attention by pull your braid. You were so used to me doing it to you were ignoring him. After a few days I let my over protective side out and approached him about it. Let's just say I've never seen Mek so embarrassed in my life. Just don't mention it I don't think it applies now, but he told me he'd kill me if anyone besides you found out."

"Oh no. Cruel unusual punishment from your best friend. I can't believe of all the girls in that class, he picked my braid to pull. I had to ignore him. I won't even dream of pulling him off focus and mentioning something that's irreverent now. He has too much to worry about. He didn't mean it. It's embarrassing."

"You were nine sis." Her brother explained. "He has a sister too, so he understands why I did it. At least he does now. He said he'd do the same had someone picked on Casta like that. It's one of the reasons why Mek recognized you when I brought you home, and was at your side, when I wasn't. It's also the reason he made it clear to me that if we ever need additional help, he'd be there. No matter what."

"That does make me feel a little better I think." She sighed, "Teela brought up Prince Adam's wedding again thinks I'd be the right person for the job as matron of honour. I don't feel I'd be appropriate. "

"Adam picked me as best man sis, so I know how you feel. I still haven't figured out how to tell Prince Adam exactly that. There are others more suited then me. Unlike you I've never had a real crush." He looked into his sisters eyes, "Don't go there SHE doesn't count. You know it! Father doesn't even know about THAT and he won't if I have anything to say about it!"

She-Ra couldn't help but laugh, he was referring to Frosta who had used her powers to seduce him. "I promised I'm not going to give you a hard time, and I intend to keep that promise. Maybe I should have warned you about her 'gift' she can look a certain way and whomever it is she's fallen in love with has no chance of breaking it. Then again I didn't know about it either until after the fact. I'm sure Father knows about her people though, but he's married, it wouldn't affect him. I'll try to remember to keep her away from you the next time you come visit. If I don't, I'll face the consequences I'm sure. But I'm sure Prince Adam knows all about that?"

"Thank you. And no, he hasn't mentioned it. It sort of helped being that he's engaged. From what I've read her powers don't affect people who are married. Oh, and the next time you hear from Teela, tell her Adam appreciates her words. Even if they weren't directed to me, I heard it."

"I'll try to remember. But I think Adam should tell her. Hearing it from me is one thing, but having that sort of conversation with her future husband is a lot more romantic, don't you think? Why would Mek kill you anyways? Aren't you like brothers? Or did I miss something."

"Probably, not that I have experience with that sort of thing." In the five or so minutes since he had joined his sister in the bathroom, he had successfully braided her hair, in a professional looking braid tying the end off with a hair elastic from her collection. "It was something he said when we were children sis. You'd better go get dressed. I laid out something for you on your bed. It wasn't the size I ordered for you, it should fit. The matching jacket is in the closet, made especially for you."

"Father was right, even if you say something as children you never really follow through."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

The next time he saw his sister, he almost didn't recognize her. She wore the masters of the universe shirt she had helped him design. It looked as if it had been painted on to the dark blue shirt, which in his opinion matched nicely with the colours he had used to pair the picture. The shirt was paired with a simple pair of black pants and hard bottom shoes to protect her feet not only from the cold stone floor, but from the tiger who liked to attack bare feet. The jacket was oversized, which was what he wanted when he chose the size for her, but he possibly could have gone with a size smaller. But it fit, that was the important thing. While he knew she hadn't been sleeping much since she arrived, the worry and concern over him, wouldn't let her. But there was a sort of difference about her. Her face was blotchy. The dark circles, even after some rest, were still lining her eyes. All of this told him she had been on guard duty during the night before their father had come to get her. Unlike the safety of the palace, or even the safety of Castle Greyskull, the Whispering Woods were not guarded by trained guards, but by members of the rebellion who had very little training to defend themselves. He knew about Hordak's constant attack, but he never had time to stay more than a few hours at a time, that was to provide aide, or when things allowed it come for a quiet little visit. Being on guard 24/7 wasn't one of her responsibilities. Even she needed to sleep.

"When was the last time you got a decent amount of much needed sleep that didn't involve reliving your worst nightmare?" Her brother asked from behind.

She turned and was about to answer him when her back clenched and her muscles tighten. She hunched over instinctively, felt something in her back shift, and the pain sent her down. "Shyara!" her brother gasped. While he had grown accustom to using the name change, he still used her birth name but only when they were in private. If Hordak ever found out, he would use it against her. It was like he was so intoned with her feelings he knew what was going to happen before she did and caught his sister within three easy steps scoping her up with ease, "Easy sis. Let's get you to the bed and this time a real bed."

He-Man was bigger than his sister, but he was in no condition to be doing this, he found the strength to get his sister from the threshold of his room back to her own. Once he laid his sister on the bed, he gently ran a hand up her back.

She winced at his gentle touch. "What are you doing?

"Trying to figure own what caused you to fall into my arms, other than exhaustion." He paused releasing his hand from under her shirt, "From what I can tell, other than the deep bruising, you've pulled a muscle, bad. How bad is it?" He asked. Looking into her eyes, just as deeply as she was looking into his.

"How bad is wh-"She started, only to realize he was talking about, her pain. "Minor compared to yours. There are some bruises, deep bruises, and minor cuts. Certainly nothing I'm overly concerned about. You said it yourself. It's the risk of the job. My job- our job. I don't have time to worry about myself. You for one should know that."

"I know. But still. It doesn't mean you can't take a day off. You're exhausted. In fact, I don't think I've seen you so exhausted in my entire life. You can't do your job properly if you're expected to be on duty twenty-four-even. Everyone has to take turns being on guard duty, not just you." He left her side for only a minute retrieving something from his room, only to have it flying to him instead. '_Thanks for reading my mind Duncan.' _He thought a pulling the door to the main room closed before returning to his sister's side.

"Try this." He said handing her a small flexible pad. He smiled reading her eyes," Duncan's version of a heating pad, with special features. It feels as if little hands are massaging away the pain with the additional soothing heat, it's amazing, especially when the shower doesn't help. Put it on the sore spot, it'll cling to the skin, the soothing heat will help."

"Sounds great, but there's one problem. It's in the exact spot I can't reach. Well I can, but it's painful. I think you're right though, I did hurt it somehow. It could be a combination of things. I sleep on a horribly old cot; it's not very good for my back. At least I was until Duncan sent that portable shelter with built in sleeping units. It's amazing. The bed feels like I'm sleeping on clouds." Wincing in pain, grateful her brother was the only other person could hear her tiny gasp of pain.

"True. To be perfectly honest I tested it while Duncan was still working out the kinks. I mean I wouldn't want you to have a malfunction in the mile of an emergency. But still if even if you're sleeping on a much better sleep surface, the injury won't go away like magic. It'll take time, time you don't have, especially with Hordak constantly causing trouble."

He moved her long braided hair to one side, in order to have a better look. Using a single finger, he gently probed her back, in hopes he would be able to figure out what the problem was just by touch. He was a seasoned medic, and while he had no idea what the problem was, he could only go from his experience and what he knew about the muscles. He didn't think it was serious enough to require the expertize of Duncan. "Is it the lower left hand side that's bothering you right now sis?"

"Yes," She said wincing slightly, "it has for a few days now. I would have done something about it, not that there is much I can do, since I have other things to do than worry about myself."

"I was afraid of that. I've done it myself, several times. There's nothing you can do to relieve it on your own. There may be some pain medication, but that may knock you out. I, for one, don't usually take that route, unless there is no other choice. I have others who can take over for me; you don't." He paused, "Do you think you can lie on your stomach?"

"What are you going to do? Give me a back massage."

"Pretty much," Her eyes looked deep into his; it was as if he could read her well protective thoughts. "Relax sis. I'm only doing this to help you. I have taken massage therapy classes, and studied techniques, under the direction of Duncan. He's not only a certified physician, but he was a massage therapist. I know what I'm doing, honest. Recently, I even helped mom. She says I'm rather good, with the shoulder rub I gave her. The sooner you relieve the ache, the better. I promise I won't hurt you. It should actually help. Ignoring it like you are will do more harm than good. You can't do your job correctly when you're in this sort of pain sis. You know it and I know it. It would be easier if you tell me what happened. I promise, I won't worry, too much. This is certainly better than the alternative and going to Mom or the sorceress right?"

"Yes, and after everything they went through trying to help you yesterday, I would think they needs to conserve their powers." She paused hissing slightly as the fire like pain burned through her again, but it was quickly soothed by her brother's gentle touch and the muscle relaxant he had applied to the area.

"Okay, so Hordak ended up hitting Swifty, which caused a crash landing. I didn't think of it at the time. We were, maybe fifty even fifty five feet from the ground when he got hit. It's happened before and nothing like this has happened. At least to me. Swifty's fine, but he's on his own vacation to aid his recovery. With everything I've had to do, I've not had time to do anything about my own pain, especially when someone else's life is at stake."

He looked into her eyes, "I know sis. And while you've done it for me, that's what worries me. Why does it feel things on Etheria are worse than they were the last time I was there? Why does it seem you're not telling me everything? I understand where you're coming from sis, really I do. I certainly didn't expect you to collapse; while I'm not exactly back to my old self, my brotherly instincts sky rocketed, seconds before you hit the ground. It seems Hordak has found a new targeting system and his aim has improved. But for now, let's not worry about that. I'm fine. For the moment. I can help, with the pain, but only if you trust me. I'll be back in a minute." He left the room returning several minutes later.

"Of course I trust you. I trust you with my life. You should know that by now. But I will warn you, there are scars, on top of scars. All I'll say right now is I took the torture to protect Adora."

His sister's words came from where she was lying face down on her bed. While her brother was gone, she removed the long sleeved shirt and replaced it with a short undershirt allowing her brother full access to her back. "I know sis. It's not the first time I've seen them remember? I did what I could, but in the end I had to get Duncan, but you may not remember."

"You did what you had to do. I wasn't in very good shape anyways. Hordak found out I was planning on rescuing you, and sentenced me to well, punishment. I remember Duncan being very considered about me. Marlena sitting beside me, I even called her mom once. But when I did wake up, you were the first person I saw. I just don't remember actually getting to the medical unit of Eternos."

"That's a story for another time Sis. You may not be ready for that just yet." It took everything he had to fight back the feeling of guilt for not preventing it. When he first found her she was covered with cuts and bruises, he had no choice but to do what he could to help her, just like he was doing now. But this time he was trying to pamper her, in addition to do something for her pain, it was the least he could do. But the bruises, some of them were deep, and recent.

"By the Ancients! How on Eternia did you hide the pain from these, they're very deep? Some of those scars look as if they're from some sort of whip. Why didn't I see these before?" Her brother glanced at the door, both doors were closed, nobody would enter without knocking. "I know I promised myself I'd never ask until you were ready, but what happened? What would you ever do to have to deserve such harsh treatment? What did Adora do? She was an innocent child, wrongly taken from her home."

He never considers himself to have empathetic powers, but he knew when something hurt his sister. Even after she was taken alongside of Adora, he could feel her. When she was hurt he knew about it, until recently. From the time they were a child, that was the one thing he hated more than anything, someone hurting his sister, when he wasn't there to do anything about it. Though she was faced down on her bed, and couldn't see what her brother saw, she knew what he was referring too. The deep bruising and the older deeper scars._ 'Of course she didn't have Greyskull's full protection without her sword which explains a lot.'_

"Some of them are. Hordak felt she had to learn the lesson; nobody stands up to Hordak the way she did without suffering the consequences. There was nothing I could have done to stop it. When Adora was ten, it was said she was supposed to go to a horde training camp. She wouldn't. She knew it wasn't safe, and the fact I wasn't going with her, made her realize it was trouble. She knew better to go off wandering without one of us from the time we started looking after her, and to break a rule, it didn't sit well with her. I knew the Horde spell, had broken. Hordak had attempted to place one on me too, but it didn't work thanks to my training. But for Adora, she didn't have that sort of training; her father at least wouldn't allow us to teach the twins. If I had told Adora how to block the spell, which would have been more complicated than I would have liked, I'd have a lot more problems on my hands than I wanted."

"Hordak made it so I wasn't there to protect her, which is how their plan worked so well. But to prevent Hordak from finding out she was no longer under his control, I told Adora she had to make it seem as if nothing had changed. No matter what happened or what he told her to do, she would do it. Only I knew. But being the headstrong girl she was, she didn't exactly listen. She simply told Hordak she did not want to go to the Horde Camp. Well, he was less than pleased, and was going to punish her if he had been able to get through me. In the end, I had to take the whip otherwise he would have harmed or even killed Adora. She was just a child. I'm really surprised it didn't do the same to me. All I knew was I could not let Hordak harm her, in anyway. Thankfully all it did do was give me those scars. Then when she was ready to go back to school, she was assigned a tutor. I guess my teaching wasn't good enough. Hordak claimed Adora was old enough, at the young age of twelve to be without me. I of course, had a different opinion on things, but there was nothing I could do. I learned a long time ago not to mess with Hordak, and I wasn't going to mess with him especially when I was unarmed. I really was beginning to think he would get rid of me once and for all until I was assigned as a medic and worked primarily in the infirmary. Once a month I'd be sent down to the prisons which is how I knew about the secret access tunnel. It didn't occur to me that one of my favourite 'patients' might be my father. The next time I went down there, someone told me he died. In truth, he had been moved to a more secret part of the dungeons which rarely had medical attention. After my assignment changed, it kept me busy to allow Hordak to place another spell on Adora which hold her long. Somehow, without my knowing, Adora learned how to block it."

"That was probably the same point Adam learned too, without me knowing."

_ "It's possible. My position also allowed me to be there in case Adora needed medical care. Which she did. When she was fifteen she was injured and the medical personal on duty in the training area did a poor job of treating the three inch wound. By the time she was able to go to the infirmary the wound was so infected, it caused her to have a high fever, and fall into a coma. Even with the six years of medical experience I had I didn't know if she would survive. Hordak's orders were very simple: do not let anyone die. Death, the tyrant had explained on more than one occasion, was a form of escape- and no one escaped from the Fright Zone. Besides, dead people could not be enslaved. My task, being that I was the only one on 'staff' who had the kind of medical knowledge that would actually do some good, was to make sure the prisoners lived long enough to suffer and patients in the infirmary lived long enough to undergo punishment. Adora was in the infirmary for twelve days and almost died. But she didn't, thank goodness. Blade, a friend of Adora's was injuries, but not as severely as Adora. When he recovered enough to take care of her I had no choice but to take over Adora's training and when I did I have never been so thankful I had the skill I do. Two years later she went into labour but of course was only allowed to care for her for one year, that's about the time when Katelyn was passed on to the 'nanny' who I'm pretty sure was Mom in disguise. As I told her parents I have no idea how she got pregnant, but I was with her the entire time. I was the only trained midwife. Marlena taught me everything she knew about medicine. There wasn't anyone else with my qualifications."_

Tears stung He-Man's eyes, "I was afraid of that. Adam once told me he could 'feel' his twin. In fact for some unknown reason, he fell ill shortly after he turned fifteen. After all these years I finally figured it out. Marlena once told me that twins are the closest sets of siblings there is. In fact she said on Earth there had been studies where a set of twins were separated. In all cases if one twin was hurt, the other would know it. She even gave me a book called 'separate lives' about a set of twins who were separated at birth. You might want to read it one day."

"How much time for leisure activities to you think I have? Not as much as I do here that's for sure. It sounds like it would be interesting though. But what does Adam have to do with Adora?"

"Good point sis."Her brother said. "Sometimes I forget you have to deal with a more dangerous tyrant then I do." His sister nodded, _"Adam was feeling Adora, through illness. When he got better twelve days later, the same day Adora did, he told me we had to find her. That was also around the time Mother disappeared, so I went to Lana, who I got accustom to calling the Sorceress. Adam knew I had limits and my responsibility to Eternia came first before going full throttle in my search. But even so he once claimed I had no idea what he was going through. It took him a few days, and a final argument with me when he suddenly realized how much his words actually hurt me, even if I didn't say anything. I was grieving as much as he was, but wasn't showing it. He had forgotten my sister, you, had been taken alongside of his. To this day I don't think Adam knew you were my sister. For days after he was nothing, but apologetic." _

"Wait, he had no idea I was your sister? Surely, I must have told him once or twice. He must have wondered how I could know what he was going through at some point. I've given advice based on growing up with you. With a sister's point of view, not a brothers."

_"I'm sure you did too sis, but at the time Adam was so emerged with emotion, he wasn't thinking clearly. He must have known there was a female guard at one point, for his sister's benefit, but he had no idea, or at the time he had no idea who that was, or how she was related to me. It was understandable. It was one thing to lose my sister, but his sister is part of him. They're exactly the same age. What bothered me the most was the fact I didn't have any idea you had been taken until I came back. Nobody contacted me. Mek was sitting with Adam, who was crying, and when I asked him what was wrong I could only hold him while he cried. There wasn't time for me to sort those things out. Only Mek knew how much it hurt me when I got bad to find you two were gone. At least for the first couple days. Adam needed me. Fighting with me was the only way he had not to break down with emotion. He certainly couldn't cry in front of his mother, which would only break her heart further. His father was too busy with his work to even bother with Adam's emotional well-being. The young prince rarely saw his father, and when he did things were awkward. He wanted to talk about his sister, share his happy memories; his father didn't. Soon King Randor started acting more as his king than as his father. But in my eyes didn't need a king, he needed a father. Someone to be there when he needed advice. That job was left to me during his teen years, when things got more dangerous. Which made my life a little easier in a way since merging with him allowed me to protect him too. All I had to do was tell his parents he was in a secured area only Duncan and I had access too, for his protection. Duncan along with the palace tutors helped him with his education, and with Duncan there it allowed me to continue my search. But there were days when it felt as if Marlena was raising him alone. King Randor buried himself in his work. Adam couldn't go to his father; I was the only thing Adam had. That's why he was so gung ho about what I had to tell him. He knew I couldn't take on Skeletor any longer by myself. He had read the theory about Greyskull's power but only he knew it was really true. But now even King Randor doesn't believe me and that makes it more difficult. I really don't think that will change any time soon, which is good." _

_"But it didn't make my search any easier. But Adam did. From the day that spell of control was placed on Adora, and something horrid happened to her, Adam knew about it. There were a few days in particular he didn't sleep. He told me he could feel his sister. He didn't know what happened to her, but he knew she was hurt. That was the day before he fell ill. Whenever he mentioned it to his father, he said that was impossible. He claimed, she couldn't have been alive and he should forget about her. But for Adam, that wasn't easy. Adora's a part of him, his second half. Without her, he's nothing. Duncan and I were the only one who believed him. From that day on, I knew it had to mean something, but I didn't know exactly what. So I did the only thing I could think of. I went to Duncan, who told me it might be time. The next day I introduced Adam to the Sorceress who confirmed my suspicions. He was the one. I remember what she told him as if it was yesterday, 'Believing in destiny is one thing. Accepting one's own is something else entirely.' It wasn't until he took the second half of the powers we started our search again. But that's also around the time things started changing with Adam's father. He never really paid attention to him since his sister's abduction, but finding him going fishing with me, or sleeping in his hidden spots made him think less and less of him. He was too busy with the ruling of his kingdom to bother questioning him about what he was doing with his day. But there were reasons for it. Merging with me exhausts him. And in order to keep his secret, he had to find a way to act oblivious to any attack. It didn't bother him, at first. All he wanted to do was get you and Adora home. It took a year and a half to two years before the sorceress managed to do that, and another five days before we brought you home. When Adora decided he had to go to Etheria it wasn't only because you're her bodyguard, she was accepting her own destiny."_

_"I know that now. I wish it could have happened at the same time though. Adora said she could feel Adam, not only during her illness, but when she had Katelyn. She even told me that she could feel his presence, not just his emotion. But that doesn't answer any of our questions." She closed her eyes,"What does King Randor expect you to do, be in three places at once, as a guard and the protector of Eternia and a father figure for Adam? Yeah, even you can't do that. Even if I'm sure you're rather good at it but still, even you have your limits."_

"I know sis, but he thinks I can. Now what's worse is he's treating father the same way, but he was never in the military the way we were. I don't need any more weight."

"I know that. Maybe when things calm down a bit you might conciser going to talk to him." His sister suggested. "Telling me is one thing, who you really need to bring it up with is King Randor."

"I know sis. But every time I've tried to do that, he treats me as if I was still a guard out of training. Every time Adam does the same thing, he treats him like he has no right to even talk to his father. Maybe with both of us there, it would make some sort of difference." He explained. "I'm sorry if I brought up any memories you were trying to forget And I'm sorry I got Duncan involved without checking with you."

"Don't worry about it. If you know I'm hurt enough to require more medical assistance then what you can give, go to Duncan by all means. I trust him. Really I do. If I had Eternia's medical resources on Etheria, I'd be able to cure the serious of diseases. But you know something, I think you're right, Adam helped Adora. We almost lost her. Without their twin link, we would have. I thought she was hallucinating because of the fever, but when she said she sensed Adam, I knew it could be only one thing. In truth I had almost forget about it. It's said one twin can send healing energies to the other. I think without Adam knowing it, he sent those healing energies to his sister, while his sister sent him some of his own."

"It certainly makes sense to me sis. I know I saw you watching from the shadows, when Hordak first took me prisoner, but you only didn't make yourself seen until you knew you weren't being watched anymore. Little did you know you were. Adam fell ill without reason. Even our mother couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. Never in my wildest dreams did I think it had to do with Adora."

His sister nodded, "You had no way of knowing so don't go blaming yourself. Again."

"I can't help it sis. Hordak could have done so much worse had Adora not freed me and told me what was happening. Blade once was a Eternian solider, in fact he was the one who was supposed to be helping you, but was discharged dishonourably. That's why I recognized him the first time I went up against him, and why he had feelings for Adora. He was supposed to be the second guard helping you, but he never showed up. He turned his back on the Royal family so Duncan had no choice but to discharge him" He said, turning his attention back to his sister. "Now what happened to you? Those bruises are deep. And recent."

"The usual. When Hordak shot Swifty down, I fell, hard. It was a sneak attack. Not to many people feel I need someone to watch my back. Especially Glimmer. She's under the impression I don't need help, because I have experience with Hordak. In truth before I came to Etheria forcefully I had no experience what so ever, but she of course doesn't believe me. I was nine as you may remember. I don't think I would have survived if I had to go up against him. Father told me not to leave you, and that's exactly what I did." Her brother nodded." And I don't think I told you what Glimmer did to Adora shortly after we came back from rescuing Angella."

"You didn't have to tell me. She left her in the rain with nothing, but a thin tarp to protect her? She did that again when the storm hit, this time with her parents not knowing about it." He-Man asked. She-Ra nodded," Adam was furious. They both had pneumonia this time. It took everything I had not to go up to her and slap her. Not that I'd ever do that, even if she does deserve it."

"I know. I had the same problem, but I can hit her, if I ever needed to, not that I would. I did however make it perfectly clear to Glimmer she could have died in that storm. She left her in the haunted forest until I found out about it and went to find her. That particular forest is about as dangerous as the vine jungle and the Evergreen forest, and the enchanted forest combined. But to go unprotected- not that it was Adora's fault, Glimmer took her sword from her after she burnt her clothing; providing Adora with a very small tunic which did very little to protect her from the elements was suicide. I was so busy trying to find Adora I didn't think about what type of storm it was! I really don't remember anything after that."

"Well let's just say Adam's bond with Adora came in very handy and he literately pulled me out of bed, when I was in a deep sleep. He has never been able to do that before, even with Cringer's help. Figuring I'd need help, I woke Father. Let's just say it was raining so hard when we got there, I was latterly swept off my feet. We went to find you and Adora, got you inside the shelter I brought. But until you told me what happened to Adora, I had no idea Glimmer could be so inhuman. I knew there was a reason I didn't like her, and it had nothing to do with the way she reacted when I first arrived on Etheria either. Sure she was over cautious. Not surprising since Duncan and I don't look like we belonged on Etheria. But leaving Adora, unarmed and unshielded in one of the most dangerous storms in the universe... I can't see Queen Angella making her a leader anytime soon. If I was in her place I sure wouldn't, but that's just me." He stated, focusing his full attention on his sister.

"I know how you feel, and I have spoken to Queen Angella about that fact. She said she's not going to be a leader anytime soon. She has yet to apologize to Adora for taking her sword. I got it back."

"You know it took all I had not to slap her silly after the storm died down. Not that I would. I know better." In reply he got a muffled laugh from his sister_. "For now don't worry about that. Right now, you're at home. I've done my job. Relax and let me do the work, sis." He chided with a smile. The way she reacted to him working on her, was more of a guarded response than anything. 'She's not used to having someone else do the task for her; she has to do it herself. She worked herself so hard to get into the guard once, she was the youngest guard, a female, Lieutenant and eventually captain, she could do the job, better than anyone. But when she was a guard, she had others to rely on, now nobody seems to want her on the team. Even my sister can't do this job alone, she needs help. It's just the fact that Glimmer is so head strong that she doesn't see she's only human.' He thought returning to his sister, "I'm not hurting you are I?"_

"No. It feels amazing. I thought I was the one with this sort of training."

"You have certain talents, but that doesn't mean I can't have a way to pamper my sister, does it? It's high time someone takes care of you for a change. You spend most of your time taking care of everyone else, there's nobody to take care of you. Your healing powers work on others, not on yourself. And while I don't have that sort of power, I can help you this way. Massage is a way to relax and distress. Duncan once said it's the best form of treatment for pulled muscles. Believe it or not I'm a trained massage therapist."

"What did I do to deserve this? I came home to help you remember? Now you're helping me, soothing a pulled muscle with massage."

"Yes. But that doesn't mean I can't help you too, with a little pampering, does it?" He countered, "You're hurt too. You can't do anything right now while you're in this much pain. You certainly cannot ignore it forever. That doesn't work. Sooner or later it will come haunt you." He released his hands and added more muscle relaxant." The more you 'help' me, the less your body gets a chance to relax. You're muscles are tight, because of the injury, to release them you need to relax."

"I don't remember how to relax. That might be one of my problems." she mumbled, hissing slightly.

Her brother smiled, "I was afraid you were going to say that. I wouldn't say it's a problem, a burden maybe. War does that. You have to be ready for anything, especially Hordak. The problem you have on Etheria is this; nobody else seems to know how to protect Etheria. Regardless of the time we took to show them how to protect themselves, Glimmer made it so they don't have to fend for themselves. I don't know where I'd be if someone did that here. I highly doubt anyone would. It took me years to balance my responsibility; it's one of the reason why I left the guard. There wasn't a reason for me to do it anymore."

"I know, I was in the guard remember? That's one of the many reasons I was looking forward to retirement. Sure, I'd still look after the twin's part time, but not like I did. Every day for sixteen hours."

"I know. Hordak and Skeletor certainly didn't make things any easier. With you there, I had no problems. It was after you had become Hordak's captive King Randor wanted me to take on additional responsibilities. With everything I was dealing with, I wasn't in any position to do so. The masters needed me as their leader, which was easy enough, but to house additional guard responsibility, there was no way. Had it not been for Duncan, I don't know what I would have done. Yet after all this time he's still treating me like I'm a guard. It's bad enough; he's doing the exact same thing to Adam now. He has enough pressure as it is, with his wedding around the corner." He paused again, wondering how much he should tell her. How many times had he pulled a muscle, bruised his ribs after fighting Skeletor? More times than he could count, but nothing he encountered had been as bad as what his sister had gone through. "Breathe, in through your nose, out through your mouth. I'm not trying to hurt you. If I am, please tell me."

"You're not. It's an old injury coming back to haunt me after all this time." She then rolled over in order to face her brother, "We need to go talk to the king. It's the only way we can solve this problem, not only for the twins, but for us too. They don't need the extra stress. Adora certainly doesn't."

"I know sis. Every time I try to talk to the King he treats me like a rookie guard. Even if I try to talk on Adam's behalf he always asks me why I'm concerned. I, of course have an easy answer, 'I'm his bodyguard. I have to know what's going on at all times.' But I don't think telling him 'the strained relationship he has with his son isn't helping.' would work to my benefit. I was never like that with Father was I?"

"Not that I remember. King Randor isn't Father. Mother told me the problems he had when they were first married. I mean I knew of the rumours, but I never believed it. I knew she wasn't from Eternia. But she seemed to know what she was doing once she became Queen." She winced as she rolled over to her stomach."Yep, it's an old injury all right."

"Injuries do have a habit of making your life miserable. That's why I'm trying to treat it now, so it doesn't haunt you in the middle of an emergency." Her brother pulled his hands off her back, briskly rubbing them together to add lotion to his hands as he began to work on the knot.

She breathed deeply and then held the breath for a moment before slowly releasing it as he slowly moved the heels of his hands down her back, working on easing the knot. She couldn't heal her own injuries. Now it was time for someone to take care of her, not he'd give her much of a choice. While she was here to help him, it also could be the perfect test for the rebellion. He wondered if the rebellion were up to a challenge. If they could handle it without her, it would allow her to go home for a time at least. Seeing how his sister floated in that stage between sleep and wakefulness, He-Man knew he had done his job. He did a brisk sweep down her body to draw out the last of the negative energy and brushed his hands to dispel it. '_Good, now she can sleep.' _

"Better?"He questioned pulling down her shirt from behind; even his gentle touch caused no reaction. "Sis?" He placed a hand on her shoulder only to find she was sound asleep. "Sleep well, Shyara." he whispered. He pulled the blanket around her tucking in the small stuffed blue dragon with golden wings he had given her as a child. "Do your thing and protect her Goldie."

As much as he wanted to stay with her, one of them had to be on watch, at least until their father got back. And for now, even if he wasn't up to it, that would be him. As he rubbed the remaining lotion into his hand, He-Man smiled as he saw his tiger hunch down beside her bed" Stay with her cat. But don't wake her." He reached down and rubbed his head, "She needs sleep." He left the room, quietly closing the door keeping it open just enough so he could hear her if he need him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Man-at-Arms looked over at He-Man as he heard the champion's feeble attempt to hide his obvious state of exhaustion. _"He doesn't want to admit it," _he thought_, "Skeletor's worn him to a frazzle, among other things." _Duncan thought about this mere month alone. He-Man and Battle Cat were practically fending off Skeletor every day. They had little time for a break, and it was beginning to show. Never mind the fact He-Man had overexerted himself to stop a jewel that nearly killed him; never mind the fact he was carrying emotional baggage than Duncan would have liked, thanks to the Adam's father. Duncan sighed and shook his head.

He-Man heard the sounds his friend was making and immediately opened his eyes and settled a concern gaze on him. "Duncan," he asked. "Are you okay?"

Duncan glanced at He-Man and once again shook his head at the sincere concern he saw covering He-Man's features. "Shouldn't I be asking you that same question?" he replied. "I was going to see if your sister was willing to stay for a few days if she can."

"I have no doubt she would, but she's asleep. I'm not worried about myself." As he finished the statement he looked back at Man-at-Arms and saw the older man's frown.

Duncan looked into his eyes. "Then who are you- Shyara." He questioned only to get a nod. "How is she? What happened?"

"Not good. She's hurt. Hordak's aim is improving. I figured out what the old scars are from. She doesn't want anyone else to know. It's bad enough I coxed her into telling me. I'm her brother. She trusts me, but still. I shouldn't be prying should I?"

"I don't think its prying at all. It might be considered therapeutic if you really think about it. Talking about her past may help. You were there a lot longer than I was, and if she opens up to anyone it will be you. You're a former medic. She knows you were doing everything in your power to help her and you will not go beyond your boundaries. You never do. She was in much more serious condition when you first brought her home, and if you didn't get my assistance I don't know what would have happen. That's one story I will not tell even your father." His mentor reassured him "For the moment I'm the only one here. Your father went to check on your mother, who was going back to bed. Lana's in meditation. I'm reading. I'm a physician remember? I've been around long enough to read the eyes of someone who's hiding something. If she needs medical help beyond your skill level-"

He shook his head, "No, I've taken care of it; I think. A muscle in her back spasm because of the lack of care, the muscles were badly pulled, and she collapsed. If I hadn't stepped in when I did, she could have got hurt a lot worse. She doesn't have the luxury of medical assistance. I don't even know if anyone besides my sister knows anything about first aid and medicine. Even the basics. She had to take care of Adora when she was a child, but there was nobody to do that for her, unless I happened to be there. I did find out something interesting though. Do you remember when Prince Adam fell ill so suddenly when he was fifteen? He was in and out of consciousness for twelve days."

"Yes, why? I couldn't figure out why he became so ill so suddenly. There was no reason for it. Even your mother couldn't figure that one out."

"I know. But there was a reason, the source wasn't on Eternia. It just so happens, Adora at the same age, fell ill due to a serious infection. She was out for twelve days. Some of that time required She-Ra to take Adora's place in training, and while she has advanced training then she does, she said she was thankful she had it. Adam didn't have any of those symptoms, but he did tell me that his lower left side hurt. That's the same place Adora's infection resided. He was feeling what Marlena would call a twin connection. That's what saved Adora."

"Who would have guessed? They had dragon pox at the same time, and broke their leg, and now they felt the others pain even on different planets." Duncan recalled.

"That's right. And once again it was my sister and I who nursed them back to health. Their father was too busy to even check in on them. At least when they had dragon pox. When Adam was injuries- or out sick, thanks to Adora's pain, King Randor felt Adam was faking it since even the chief physician couldn't figure out what was wrong." Duncan closed his eyes, wondering if it was really the Prince who was talking or the hero that stood before him "And I almost lost her again. Let's just say the Etherian princess has a sick sense of humour."

"I know. I heard both yours and your father's version of what happened. I've also dealt with Hordak, he was still Skeletor's teacher, and didn't rule Eternia yet." Duncan paused, closing his eyes for a brief moment "As for the storm you were so tired when you got home, you nearly collapsed. I'm glad you brought your father. The shelter I gave you to give to your sister will stand up to that sort of winds, and unlike a tent, you don't crowd other peoples space. I remember staying in her tent, it was cramped. Hopefully it's working out well for her."

He-Man nodded, "It certainly seems like it. It worked out well. I ended up staying for a few days. It's better than waking up with water dripping on your forehead. As I recall this particular shelter is leak proof, and expandable if needed. It's perfect for her, and we set it up in a grove close enough to camp, but far enough that she has privacy. We can have a decent conversation this way, without prying ears. My Father put a spell on it the next time we visited."

Duncan nodded, "I was there remember? It was her birthday or something, I don't remember. Some sort of unplanned much needed visit. So what happened to your sister?"

"Right. Sorry I've got too much on my mind right now." Duncan smiled and mumbled under his breath, "All I know is Swifty had crash landing, and as usual she put his wellbeing in front of her own. I've seen her fall, it doesn't happen that often, but when it does, both of them get hurt. Every time I see it happen though, it scares me, and it's like my heart feels like it stops until I know she's okay."

"That last time I felt the same way was when I saw your father get hit with that jewel, after he saved my life and when I saw him 'die'. I can see why you're so frustrated. She can't free Etheria alone. Hordak's dangerous, so dangerous; even your sister's powers will not be enough every time. It could take the combination of the two of you to prevent something big. It's happened. You've shared a lot of your adventures with me."

"It's more than frustration Duncan. It scares me; not very many things do that. I'm the only person she relies on to watch her back, but I can't always be there. I've never been in a situation which required me to ask to go get permission before I do my job. That weight is too much for me to handle. She's my sister! Why is he doing this? I don't serve him anymore, at least in the way he thinks I do. I left the guard for several reasons, all of which he seemed to understand. Last year, shortly after Adora left he gave me more guard like responsibilities, even when he knows my responsibility is for the prince's safety, and the protection of all of Eternia. I can't be a guard and do all that too. I'd never sleep.. Besides he's not the one responsible for the guard, you are. You have the final say. Right?"

"Yes. I know why you left the guard, and I would think the king understood your reasoning. You had too much personal burden to deal with your father's death, the kidnapping of Princess Adora and your sister, your mother's disappearance. You couldn't handle more responsibilities. Even you would crack. Marlena said temperately leave of absences, but knowing you as well as you do, you needed full retirement. I approved it. I had no idea the King rejected it. Every free moment you had was devoted to finding and rescuing your sister and Adora. But you forgot one very important thing sleep. But right now, my concern is not with the past, it's with the present. "

His mentor continued. "The last time I saw you, you were unconscious, burning with fever, not worrying about your sister's health and wellbeing or where the king is going to send you next. In fact I'm also worried about your sister right now. When I left her last night she was fine, now I find she pulled a muscle in her back? What caused her to do something like that? She's very good with a sword. Didn't I overhear her say she fell?"

"Yes. Hordak shot Swift Wind down, causing her to fall, hard. I haven't felt her pain this bad, since I found her on Etheria. She's amazing with a sword; I know I've seen her. I've practised with her since she was ten maybe even eight; I'm not exactly sure. It could have been that there was some sort of distraction problem and hit her when she was distracted unable to deflect the blast. Hordak's done the same thing to me. He used the Giant Freeze ray to overpower me while I was distracted."

"Your sister told her version of that story to your father. I was listening from the threshold. I figured she wouldn't want to have to repeat herself, but I didn't want to intrude." Duncan placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, "Blaming yourself for not preventing it won't change things. It's one of the many reasons we need the alliance with Etheria. I was there when we signed it, and stayed with your father during those sleepless nights. This won't help the situation on Etheria. He wasn't the king at the time, your father was. He has a lot more experience than King Randor, even now. Your father may not be royal by blood but he was a lot more focused on what his people's needs. He always went to do whatever he could, whenever he could. That's why he was selected for king. Ten years is a long time. And in Eternian law, only the king that signed the treaty can change the terms and conditions of an alliance. And if I remember correctly your father made sure that if something did happen to him, the alliance would be in place until both planets were freed. Miro and Micah agreed to that. King Randor has no power to change a law that was made before he became king."

"That's right they did. I think I came up with that." Duncan nodded, "I remember when the dragon pox epidemic over took our kingdom. You and my father went to help his people. I don't see King Randor ever doing so if that happened again. Then again, where was he when his own children came down with the illness when they were five? Certainly not at their side or helping his people. My sister and I were the ones who did that, and it was you and Duncan who helped his people. I was ten; I had a little sister to take care of. She knows it, but I won't admit that to just anyone." He paused as his eyes moved in the direction of his sister's room as he leaned heavily on the long couch. "Why do I feel as if I've failed her?"

"Your sister asked me the same question while we were waiting for you to wake up. And I'll tell you the same thing, you believe you're breaking a promise. I really think it was more Adora blaming herself, rather than your sister. She had no other choice but to leave you. Right? You've always been there to protect her and not being there at all times is making you angry with yourself because part of you feels as if you failed her by letting her get hurt in the first place. Skeletor been working you ragged for the last month. If you were able to be there, yes you may have been able to prevent it, or you could have got hurt too. You know what she's up against. Your jobs are difficult, and there is a risk of injury. She needs a vacation. She won't recover from a pulled muscle any other way."

"But Duncan, She-Ra can't stay here for a long period of time. The Rebellion needs her. If helping the rebels were that simple, we would have sent soldiers long ago so Adora could stay on Eternia. You know as well as I do that things are a lot more complicated than that."

"But we need her too." Duncan challenged.

"I realize that Duncan. But you know what King Randor will think of that. Plus with her pulled muscle, she's not going to be much help."

Grayskull arrived in time to see his son, glance over at the sleeping form of his sister. The last time he saw him, he was unconscious. Now he barely had the strength to stay awake, "Who pulled a muscle?"

"Shyara." His son replied, "Hordak, shot down Swift Wind, who's on his own vacation to aide his recovery, but she hasn't had time to do so for herself. She fell, hard. That's what caused the pulled muscle and bruising. I wasn't there to see it happen. If I was, I would have done something, unlike the rebellion! Even after the six weeks of training they still haven't found the meaning of team work which requires She-Ra to do everything for everyone."

"It seems we're not the only ones who have been worn down to a frazzle. A pulled muscle could cause more problems than it's worth. It took me a month to recover from the last injury I had. She doesn't have that long, Hordak will see to that."

"I know. I'm thankfully I have the resources I have; if I didn't, well let's just say Eternia would not be in the state it was today. Massage was the only thing I could think of. I was able to relieve it, even found knots she didn't know about. She fell asleep, before I could ask her if the pain was gone. She's exhausted. I don't think she's slept in a few days. I have this feeling she was on night watch prior to being summoned home."

"I know. I saw that when I came to get her, but I didn't think anything of it. I had too many other things going on at the time. Why did the rebellion let this happen? Aren't they supposed to be a team and look out for each other? Letting one of their team mates, who happens to be a leader, get hurt doesn't seem like teamwork to me. A warning might have prevented it, especially a sneak attack. Its easier to see those sorts of things from the ground rather than in the air. I don't think you've ever had that problem because you've always had someone watching your back. From what you've described it's the complete opposite on Etheria, unless you're there."

"I know. It is. The masters aren't likely to let it happen to one of their own. I've worked so hard to get the allies I have. I know that if I can't be there for some reasons, they can do their job without me." He paused. "The rebellion is supposed to be a team. She-Ra is supposed to be one of its team mates, and one of the leaders. Glimmer, the same princess who made Adora's life miserable, has called both of them an outsider several times, sometimes with me present. The only thing I seem to want to do to is strangle her for the way she's treating my sister. But I won't. I won't mention what happened shortly after we rescued Queen Angella. It's the reason why the twins had pneumonia last year. I understand why she's frustrated though. I'd help her more, but I'm needed here, and the king's words seem to block me. As harsh as they were he is never prevented me from doing my job before."

"I know. It's been bothering you for a long time. That's why you keep bringing it up. You keep forgetting, I was there. You woke me up in a panic, thinking something horrible had happened to your sister. It was only because I was half asleep that I told you it was a nightmare, only to realize that you were right. That was shortly after the King placed that ban on you to prevent you from helping your sister." He paused looking into his son's eyes. "But there are ways around it. The king doesn't follow your every move. You can't do your job as Eternian protector and her brother if you have to worry silly little non reliant issues the king has found all of a sudden. King Randor should be letting you handle the protection of Eternia the way you see fit while he cleans up the mess afterwards. That the way it's been from the start."

"I know Father. I certainly wish I could tell him exactly that."

"You will. But not like that. And not now. There will be a time for that." His father said. "Right now, my son needs me. The last time I saw you, you were unconscious. It was your sister worrying about you, not the other way around. Are you feeling any better?"

"I'm feeling a lot better Father, thanks to you."

Grayskull smiled in relief. "Thank goodness for that. Don't thank me, thank your mother. She's the one who did most of the work, I just went to get your sister and relay the bad news. Unfortunately King Randor didn't seem to concerned, but the masters, especially Mek were astounded. Mek's taking over for a while as leader, since I can't be there all the time. Something's changed, and it's not good. And next time you see her, tell Casta he appreciates his gift. He'll see if he can sneak back here to say hello. Apparently none of the masters are allowed to see either of you. As for what is wrong with the man, I have yet to figure that one out. It may be he knows I could take over his kingdom if I wanted to, but he should know I'd never do that unless there was no other choice. I had my own kingdom once, he's king now, not me."

"It's taking all I have, not to fall face down on my bed and sleep for fifteen hours. But I've got more than myself to worry about right now. Skeletor is going to attack. I didn't know when either of you would be back. I have to be on my guard."

His father nodded in understanding, it was his typical older brother response, "Considering what you went through, I'm not surprised. It'll be awhile before you're back to normal self. Don't push yourself, it will make it worse. I've been there remember? I was out for five days. The blast hurt so bad, it felt like you were dying right? I don't admit this to just anyone, but I still have flashbacks."

"How did you-" He paused, deciding rather than open old wounds for his father, he'd change the subject. "What did the king say? More lies about Adora." He clinched his fists. He'd heard it too many times, and every time he forced himself not to do something about it, there wasn't much he could do. Adam would only pay the price for him 'butting in' and he wasn't about to take that sort of chance.

"How did I handle it? As best as I could. Like you I had other people who relied on me. I couldn't let them down. And no mentioning it again won't do any harm. Your sister asked too. I was- am the only one other than you that I know of who has survived. But I've this feeling your sister had a lot more to do with you coming out of the dream like state than I did." His father replied. "In fact I even felt the connection. It was a strong."

"I have the same feeling. You were right though, she was the one who got me  
out of there. I only stopped so it didn't open old wounds."

"I know that. But I also know everyone was worried. Especially your sister. She held it together like a trooper." He sighed, "As for King Randor, well like he does every morning he woke me up telling me I had no more than an hour to get there. When he did finally see me, I had to bite my tongue to hold back the anger. It's one thing to treat me this way; it's totally different when it's his child. Grown or not. Not only did he start talking about Shyara- without her being present, as if he was forgetting who he was talking to. Unlike Skeletor, King Randor knows I'm your father. But that's not why I walked out. He started talking about me. I couldn't take it. I'll have to take the throne from him whether I like it or not. This is not why I kept up with my law studies though. It's the last thing another king does."

"Of course not. I can only handle so much before I too walk out. I'm there a lot more often then you are Father. I helped raise Adora. It was Adora's choice to go to Etheria. She feels she needs to make up for what she did when she was under the Horde's control. As for She-Ra, well the ancients didn't plan for both of us to protect the same planet; she has more experience there. Besides Adora wasn't legal age yet, so she had to have a parent or guardian with her. That's Eternian law, due to circumstance, She-Ra was her guardian as bodyguard. Her father didn't believe me when I told him she can handle the job just as well as I could. She has, more times than he'll ever know."

"It seems to me King Randor doesn't know Adora as well as he think he does. If my memory serves me correctly, he had meetings for several days during the time Adora was home, when it should have been used to rekindle the bond broken by Adora's kidnapping. Eight years is a long time, but it's possible, if had he spent the quality time with her he could have rekindled the bond even in a short period of time."

"Adam knows Adora A LOT better than their father does. He spent six weeks taking her on tours of the kingdom, and introducing her to all her old friends. I believe Duncan ended up taking the twins, because I had other things. I haven't taken Shyara on our own tour. It's not as if we have very many childhood friends still alive. Mek is the only one I can think of right now." He paused. "The one thing I don't get is why King Randor suddenly changed. Adora's father was overjoyed when he opened his eyes and saw the woman Adora had become. I don't admit this to very many people, but the royal family weren't the only ones without a dry eye. I was too. There were times, I was losing hope I'd ever find them again. But after about two years she realized she could do more on Etheria then here. Why wouldn't her father even listen to her? I knew what she was doing, and while I was worried about her just as much as her father was, I didn't scream at her. Neither did you."

"King Randor is her father, worried about his little girl. But in no means do I agree with it. What he's seeing is a child, where an adult now stands. I can see where he's coming from BUT I also know everyone has a path they have to take. Screaming at her was a natural reaction; he's been doing it to Adam for years. Unlike me Adora's father hasn't seen Etheria, at least while it was under Hordak's rule. The rebellion cannot free their planet alone, and Shyara can't take on the full power without help. Only problem is King Randor isn't ready to hear the truth yet, so we'll have to use Eternian law to our advantage. I just hope it doesn't take another ten years to get rid of Hordak. I can't wait that long for your sister to come home. But Adora is what nine years younger than your sister?"

"Thirteen. Shyara just turned twenty one the year so she was a legal adult when she was kidnapped alongside of Adora. Adora was nine." He-Man nodded, "Eternian law has worked in my favour for years, I just hope he accepts it for a while longer. I'm not sure if we'll be changing anything this time next year, when the twins are twenty one, and legal age."

"Right. King Randor wasn't seeing Adora as an adult, and even though she would be with someone who was her legal guardian, who happened to be your sister, he didn't like it. Hordak and Skeletor aren't normal monsters. The twins need your protection, even if they're adults. That's one of the reasons Adora went to her father prior to leaving wasn't it?" He-Man nodded, "Adora didn't need his reaction though, and she has a lot on her shoulders. She's a single parent. She has a lot on her plate as it is, but she's doing an amazing job."

His son looked into his father's eyes, "That she is. Maybe King Randor doesn't know how to be a father. His first priority or so it seems is King first father second. That's why he orders everyone else around."

"No, that doesn't make sense." Grayskull got up from the couch and paced. "I admit the kingdom's responsibility with parenthood is a well balancing act at times. But by the time I was king, you and Shyara were in school. I didn't have to worry about you. You were self-sufficient. If I remember correctly Marlena had crash landed on Eternia shortly after King Randor was about to take the throne. I was in the middle of negotiating terms of an alliance between Eternia and Etheria, around the time their marriage was announced. And I still managed to raise the two of you."

"IF I had changed my actions would this still have happened? Maybe if I had told King Randor that going to South Eternos was a bad idea..."

His father looked into his eyes, "How would you have known? It wasn't as if you could go up to him and say 'No, I'm not doing this.' Blaming yourself won't change the past. At the time you had no other choice. I still don't understand why he sent you on that mission, solo, never the less. Their abduction was meant to tell the future. Nobody knew what it meant till now. They're alive."

"But father, you don't understand. She-Ra almost didn't survive. She did what she had to do to protect Adora. I don't know what made me think to bring Duncan along, but I'm glad I did. I mean I have seven years of experience as a field medic but still." He sighed, "I never expected to learn two years later you'd be alive."

"I don't know what that monster did to her either. I only know what Duncan, and your mother told me. You're a seasoned medic He-Man. In fact I think you may have more training then most medics. You did everything in your power to help your sister. You gave up the day you had planned to take the twins out to see Eternia to care for your sister. A day you had planned for weeks. You had no choice but to get Duncan to help you. I know she understands that." His father reminded him. "The only thing she could do was protect herself and Adora to keep them alive. She knew you'd come. Hordak's a sorcerer remember? He's studied the dark arts. Your mother trained and I trained in another form of magic. Going up against him almost killed me. But he used his magic to deceive you, making it look as if I was dead. If there was a way I could have contacted you before I did I would have. But Hordak knew about my magic ability and made sure I couldn't use it. But she knew I wouldn't give up without a fight. We've been married too long. That's why I put you in training when I did. To make sure you could protect yourselves without me if something did happen to me. I know what Hordak is capable of, but I also knew I won't be here forever." He looked up at the clock, "I don't know about you but I'm going to go back to bed. It won't stay quiet forever."

Duncan placed a hand on his shoulder, sensing He-Man's thoughts, but cut him off before he was able to speak. "Your father's right. You've been through a lot; a few days off won't hurt. If Skeletor stays quiet that is. You deserve it. Your sister will be alright, you've taken care of her, as you always do; now it's time to take care of yourself for once. I'll keep an eye on her."

"That's the best idea I've heard in a very long time Duncan. I'm fighting to keep my eyes open."

"So what's the problem?" Duncan asked watching his lifetime friend with the corner of his eye, making sure he didn't collapse from exhaustion on the way to his own room.

"When we were talking you didn't over hear anything did you?"

"Are you referring to anything in particular?" Duncan asked, "The only reason I started listening in the first place is in case you needed my help. You know everything said in this place stays here."

"Well yes, but it has to do more about the Prince's wedding them myself. As you might know Teela has proposed the idea Shyara would be the perfect matron of honour to stand beside her at her wedding. She doesn't feel right for the job, she never had a 'childhood crush' or so she thinks. I reminded her she did, sort of. What I'm concerned about is her so called crush is someone I've known since I was five, and if he finds out."

"You mean Mek pulling her braid while she was in school as a sign of a crush?" He-Man nodded. "Well that's not new to me. She was nine, the new girl in school. At first thought it was you, but you were sitting beside her, and it was pulled from behind not from the side. The day she came to me I told her what I've told Adora several times when her brother did the same thing, ignore it. She said she did. But it didn't help. I guess after a few days she told you, and it was only after you got involved that it stopped. It was Mek who came to be shortly after she became Marlena's personal guard, and told me his version. I had no idea you didn't know. I thought she told you. I thought Mek told you."

"Yeah, it would have been nice if either of them had told me, but I don't think they did. When I spoke to him about it, Mek told me why he was doing it, but we agreed we'd never bring it up again. And we never have, until now. He knew who she was the minute he saw her in the infirmary though. He did everything he could to help me. But he also pulled me aside and asked me not to mention what happen when we were kids. She didn't know who it was. I just told her I took care of it. It wasn't until after we were out of school that they met again and they figured out what happened. I just mentioned it because of the conversation. I'm never going to mention it in front of anyone, otherwise..."

"You'd be in trouble with your best friend. I don't think that applies now. That was what twenty some odd years ago now. It's none of Teela's business. If she tries to question you about it... "

"Did she say something to spark a nerve Duncan? You're not usually this, uh, overprotective. Especially of me when it comes to Teela. I can handle her." He-Man asked cutting him off.

"Yes." His mentor replied a touch of annoyance in his tone." the only reason I was over protective of your sister was because of Teela's questioning. She may be hard to read sometimes, but I know she was blocking certain thoughts. Teela's been questioning your father of how he stabilized you. He told her the truth, but that didn't stop the questioning. Then when your sister came home she started questioning her about why your father's afraid to use his magic claiming it was words I gave her. From what I saw, it took all your sisters power not to snap at her more than she did. There are things from her past that still trouble her. She was uncomfortable with the conversation, or more to the fact of what Teela said about the 'words I gave her' in regards to why your father doesn't use his magic. On her way out your sister gave her a gentle but reasonable tongue lashing, but she was still pretty shaken. You both know why, but Teela wasn't even born yet. She claims I told her that he was scared to use his magic, so he left it to your mother. But that's not true."

"I know." He-Man sighed sinking more deeply into the couch. "But I don't understand. You'd never say that. What's going on with her? I know I was falling unconscious from shock, but I know what I heard, and normally she wouldn't say such a thing. Especially to my sister who could knock her out if she had to, not that she ever would. She's done it. I don't remember why, but she did. Possibly because I couldn't do it myself. I'll have to talk to her about it later. Right now I'm going to follow my father's example and go back to bed."

"Good idea. I'll keep an eye on things and let you know if anything exciting happens." Duncan smiled as he watched his young charge leave the room.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

The next thing He-Man knew he woke to a pair of birds singing outside his window. '_It wasn't a dream. She's really home.' _He thought forcing himself to get up. Using the hard back arm chair, he found his balance at which time he headed from his room, to the kitchen. Once there he found his mother and sister in the kitchen his ears toned into the words, 'leaving and Etheria' the two words that broke his heart the most. But her words weren't his first concern, his sister's health and wellbeing was. He wrapped his arm around his sister, pulling her into a hug. It took some weight off of him seeing her up and around like this as opposed to seeing her flat on her back in so much pain she couldn't move.

"Trouble sis? I thought you said you were staying. I hoped we could spend some quiet time together. We haven't spent enough time together as it is. I only see you when one of us needs the other. I know you can't say for long but I'd love the company."

She smiled, seeing the disappointment in his eyes, his heart breaking at the thought of not being able to spend some precious time with her, time they rarely had, "I know, and I'm staying. It's high time I tested the rebellion to see if any of that training I've given them has sunk in yet. Casta would appreciate an update. I'll be back as quickly as I can. I'm not about to miss this opportunity to take a vacation. A vacation I've needed since Christmas. It's August." She stood up allowing her to slide into the bench like seat next to her, "Thank you. I haven't slept that well in a long time. And my arm has never felt this good. But Goldie, was a little too much don't you think. I haven't needed him since I was twelve."

He smiled. "Good. It seemed as if you needed it. As for Goldie, don't blame me on that. I've no idea how he got up here. He was sitting on your shelf when I saw you to bed. The last time I saw him, I was looking for something and he was safely tucked away in your memory box. He's protected you as a child; I didn't think it would make any difference that you're grown now. And I promise that secret will not get out to anyone, otherwise I will sorely regret even mentioning it."

"And when do I get to be the one to take care of you for once?"

"You did sis." He reminded her, his eyes pleading "Coming home as fast as you did when you found out I was hurt even if you knew that King Randor wouldn't like it or, Hordak could possibly use your absence against you. Staying at my bedside, all night, when I needed you the most, even if your back now hates you for it? You're what got me out of that dream state. We've always took care of each other! I have to face the facts; you're not a little girl anymore. I can't always be there to fight your battles. You're more than capable of handling them on your own now. You have for eighteen months, more than that in fact. You survived being Hordes prisoner and kept Adora alive. Not very many people I know would be able to do that. Now you're protecting people who aren't your own. On the rare occasion I have been there to help; you do most of the work. You face a more dangerous demon then I can ever dream of."

He paused, cutting off any of his sister's protest. "I understand your reasoning for giving Casta an update, but you haven't eaten since last night. Have you? Half a sandwich, even mom's triple layered sandwich, isn't good enough. I know it's huge, but it does provide energy, that you need. Being spoiled once and awhile won't hurt. It might do you some good. For your own mental health take a break. Please. I don't want to find out you collapsed due to dehydration. I barely was able to catch you the first time. I don't think I can do it again, at least, not right now."

"Eating a balanced breakfast is something I've needed to do for a long time. And it was a nice surprise not to have to go scouting so early. My offer still stands."

"Yes, but you're on vacation." Her father reminded her," I appreciate the gesture, but I'm so used to doing it so I didn't need you. In fact I already went scouting. This is why I made a special breakfast. Scouting was rather boring actually, which is the norm when it's so quiet. I figured you'd deserve the break. When I came back, I decided to make use of another talent. I enjoy baking, even if I don't do it on a regular basis anymore. I figured since you were on vacation, I'd make a special breakfast for a change. I doubt you have a chance to make yourself, since you don't have any recipes of mine."

"I know one, you gave it to me. I used my own recipes all the time when I was still living here."

She eyed the table, laid with muffins, eggs, toast, and assortment of other wonderful breakfast food, all of which were very rare to get as supplies for the rebellion, unless she purchased her own food, which she did once and awhile. She needed it. "Father, are those your special cranberry muffins I haven't had since I was a child because its you're super-secret recipe you won't even give to me? You did give me your prize winning Raspberry white chocolate cookie recipe when I turned fifteen though."

"Um hum. I made a triple batch, because they were once very popular at my bakery, and I never had a chance to eat one myself unless I hid some. I needed something to do to keep my mind busy. Your mother made her famous banana bread, carrot cake and chocolate fudge cake. I made muffins, three kinds, and my raspberry white chocolate cookies, even if you have the recipe. The spice bread, which is the recipe I gave your brother, who I understand gave it to Prince Adam when he needed a fast cooking recipe is on the window sill cooling."

"Actually the banana bread and the cakes are your father's recipes. I modified slightly shortly after we got married." Their mother clarified, "He states they're better than the original recipes. The muffins I don't even know how to make. I just eat them. I've figured out the secret ingredient. Tastes better every time. I certainly understand why everyone loved them as much as they did."

"I have my own muffin recipe, but they never turn out like this." Snatching one from the basket, she cut it in half slathering each side with butter. She never had time to make these sort of treats herself as most of her father's recipes were a family secret since he had once owned a bakery himself. Sadly his bakery had been destroyed long before he had been chosen for King, but while they were growing up he made them all the time. At least when it was quiet and had a chance to do so. Eyeing the coffee maker She-Ra noticed someone made coffee and it looked fresh. She moved over to the counter to pour herself a cup of coffee, but as she was about to return Battle Cat's course fur rubbed against her leg, "Since, I'm up already I'll get him some meat. I'll try not to spoil him with human food too much. He shared my sandwich last night only because I didn't know what else to give him."

"Thanks sis. I have no energy at the moment. After what he did for me yesterday, he deserves it. I wouldn't be here without him."

But before He-Man was able to continue, Battle Cat spoke, "I'm sorry I couldn't get there in time."

He-Man knelt down next to his feline companion, "It wasn't you're fault Cat. You were distracted by Panthor. Skeletor knew what he was doing. You got me help, and that's the best thing you could do."

"He's right." Veena said kneeling down next to the tiger. "I don't think I need to remind you what hit you yesterday."

"No, you don't. I didn't expect it. I knew I'd seen the jewel, but I had no idea what it actually was until I collapsed. The only thing I was focusing on was you. Skeletor cannot know how important you are."

"I know that. You did what you had to do." He couldn't answer. But it wasn't his sister who questioned him, it was their mother. "Why don't we change the subject hum It seems like you two have needed to talk for a very long time. But not over breakfast. Please. All we seem to talk about is Hordak or Skeletor. You know what will happen if you start talking about it."

"Good idea. I don't want to do anything that ruins my sister's visit."

Over breakfast, He-Man suggested, his beloved sister needed a two week vacation. Not only it would provide herself some down time, but it would be a test for the rebellion. Being the one who did everything was a weight even she couldn't handle. The risk of getting seriously hurt was a major factor. She already pulled a muscle, which in his eyes, was too much even for her. She needed to do something now before something else happened.

"Let me know if you need help. Who knows what Hordak is up to, and as I told Father before he left, it's usually trouble. And sis," He paused so that she was looking into his eyes, "don't blame yourself huh? Even you can't be in more than one place. Right now your responsibility is to Etheria."

She smiled, "Father told me the same thing, but I can't help it. This time I failed the one thing I love the most, my family; you, my brother, who's helped me more times than I can count."

He-Man looked into his sister's eyes, "You didn't fail me sis! I could have sent for you at any time, yet it took me getting hurt by one of the few things that could kill me to realize that. I didn't expect to wake up only to have an overly worried sister sitting next to me. Too be the one who had to get me out of that place, by facing her own fears and demons. The only reason I didn't call you in the first place was because of what King Randor told me. And the fact you could have got hit along with me. That's not a risk I was willing to take. I know you've been hit by stun rays and freeze cannons but this wasn't anything I've experienced before.

"True. Father told me that it takes someone with a telepathic bond to get the person who's trapped there out. And to be very honest I was hesitant about going myself, until Father told me how serious you actually were. It was only then I realized my family needed me more than the rebellion did and my responsibilities weren't high priority. King Randor can't expect you to take on a demon as powerful as Skeletor by yourself every single time. That's suicide. You were seriously injured, not because you had no help, because Skeletor used the one thing he knew that could hurt you. The one thing that almost killed our father, had you not been there. And throwing it into the abyss was the only thing you could have done at the time anyways. Had it not been for the Sorceress and Mother, you wouldn't be talking right now." She then turned her attention to her brother's cat, "Don't you go attacking bare feet. I felt your tongue wake me up. It was actually kind of nice, for a change. I wake up when someone screams, telling me to do something. Usually glimmer telling me to go scouting. Lately I just tell her to go herself, but she doesn't"

"I keep telling you, the only way to prevent him from doing that is to ware socks to bed. Than again I didn't have a chance to remind you since you fell asleep so suddenly. I didn't think of it when I let him stay with you. He doesn't do it to me anymore, but what he does is try to beat me at a staring contest. I only lose when I start laughing because of the look he gives me and while I'm distracted he knocks me down." His words were cut off as his mighty cat took that as a cue to do exactly that, "Exactly. Alright, buddy you can stop now. I'm alright."

"He hasn't left your side since you were brought back here. He's been very worried about you." She-Ra added, "I can see where there might be problems staring down a grown tiger who can pounce you at a moment's notice. He's already pounced on me since I've been here."

The cat's attention turned from his master, to his beloved Shyara, who was going to leave him again. Battle Cat nodded in agreement. "Eternia isn't the same without you."

Balancing her bag on her shoulder she knelt down, "I know. I'll be back soon buddy. You can't get rid of me." She reassured him. In reply she got a kiss on the nose. "Alright, I really have to go. If I'm lucky, I won't be long."

Her brother smiled and pulled her into a hug, tight like a bear, but not tight enough to hurt her. But as usual he tried to make the hug last, just in case. "Let's hope there's nothing for you to do. Be careful sis." He said after he released, "Come back soon Sis. We need to talk. We have for some time, but there hasn't been time for it."

"I agree. Try to take it easy hum." Her eyes drifted to where there father was asleep on the couch and leaned down to kiss him gently on the forehead before "When Father wakes up tell him I've learned from experience to never to wake the giant dragon; unless there's an emergency or someone is dying. My leaving is not a reason to wake him. I should be back before he gets up, I hope. He didn't sleep much last night. He was worried about you. Blaming himself for not being there before it happened. He needs the sleep. He was up before dawn. King Randor didn't see him right away, but when he did he snapped at him. He doesn't need that."

He-Man nodded, "I don't think that rule has applied for some time sis. Don't worry; I'll make sure he knows. Just make sure you're back soon huh? The last time I had to wake him Oreo was here, thankfully he's visiting Dree Elle on Trolla so he shouldn't be back for several days. Anyways he felt he should try to help not knowing how he would react to being waken up so harshly. But thankfully I didn't get into trouble. He later told me that he knew about the spell since he wasn't really asleep, but he wasn't fast enough to do anything about it. I've been very careful since then."

"I can see where you may have been at a loss for words. I've been waken up with Orko's water spells before. It wasn't pleasant. Orko's water spells work as well as Madame's directions when she and broom are flying. Father was shocked when he saw her crash into a tree and survived. I really don't know how she's not gotten hurt."

"True. I don't know how Madame has survived after hitting trees as much as she does. I'll see you soon. Be safe."

It wasn't more than a moment later after watching his beloved sister enter the portal, feeling the familiar emptiness that filled him whenever they were separated. It was then he felt the coarse fur, of his tiger rub up against his leg, "I'd go with her, but you need me."

"I know Cat. Don't worry, she'll be back. But until she does, it's going to feel like a lifetime."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

He-Man bit back a groan as he sank into a chair, his sandwich before him on the table. He was staving, and as his mother told him he'd need it to replace the nutrition he had lost while he was unconscious. He took a bite of his sandwich, and almost immediately wanted a drink which was still on the counter. He stared at the cool, clear glass of water longingly, wishing he had enough magical powers to levitate the thing to him instead of having to get up. "Looking for this?" A voice asked setting a glass of cool crystal water on the table in front of him. An orange tinge told him there was a tasteless, muscle relaxant added.

He-Man took a long drink as his mother sat across from him, "Thanks."

"You look as if you needed it."She scanned the small kitchen, her daughter, who she saw at breakfast was no longer sitting with her brother, "Where's your sister? She didn't have to leave already did she? I thought she was talking about staying for two weeks, as a way to test the rebellion to see if they could get along without her."

He took a long drink before answering. Instantly the throbbing muscles relaxed. "She was, and that's the plan. She left, just to update Casta. She'll be back within the hour, unless of course Hordak causes trouble which delays her. Even if he does, she will be back. She needs this break." He reassured her. He knew his mother was looking forward to her visit as much as he was. "She has to reassure herself testing the rebellion is the right thing to do."

His mother laughed, "And is it? Can they get along without her for two weeks? She needs the break, and bad."

He didn't answer for several minutes, "I know. I certainly hope so. Other than the two weeks of training we gave them, very few people have any real battle experience. Other than my sister; who was not only a guard for six plus years, but she also has some experience with Hordak. She needs the vacation as much as I do, if not more." He-Man said. "It seems to me Skeletor is not the only one who wants to exhaust our resources, Hordak does too. We're not going to get it if they cause trouble."

"I wish I had some idea of what at least Skeletor was up to, but I don't. I can't see what Hordak is doing. It's possible that they're in an alliance again. It's like the Fright Zone's been abandoned, no activity what so ever. That's what happened the last time Hordak and Skeletor joined forces, wasn't it?

He-Man didn't answer for several minutes, "Yes, It was about a year after I had rescued Adora and Shyara; it was quiet for some time. The Sorceress couldn't see anything either. We were so busy preparing for the alliance meetings we had no time to worry. That's the same day we found out you might be alive."

"I remember that day as if it was yesterday. The calm before the storm as Dekker would say." Duncan added. "If that's the case we need both of you. King Randor isn't going to like that but we have no choice."

Veena was silent for several seconds, "If King Randor doesn't know how dangerous Hordak is; where he was during the Horde Wars? Without the help of Castle Greyskull, we would never have sent Hordak back to Despond. If Grayskull didn't step in when he did, we would have lost more lives than we did."

"I agree. He wasn't here like. I was. This is about He-Man, not your husband. What are we missing?"

"There's got to be something. What did I ever do to have King Randor place the restrictions on me that prevents me? She-Ra's the only one who's had experience with Skeletor besides me. The masters are exhausted. Why is it that when I sit down and talk with King Randor he treats me like a guard?"

He-Man and the Masters were very good at fighting, but it was up to Randor to deal with the after effects of Skeletor's attacks. Repairs always had to be made, sometimes to entire villages, and those in need of funds always looked to Eternos first. Randor was left trying to find a way to provide aid without invoking the ire of his entire kingdom. The king was also busy attempting to forge treaties, usually with monarchs who saw no reason to ally themselves with a city Skeletor was so bent on destroying. Even after the villain's minions attacked kingdoms far removed from Eternos, the majority of the planet's rulers were still reluctant to join forces with Randor, arrogant in their belief that Skeletor would never attack them; yet when they were finally attacked, they immediately demanded aid, starting the vicious cycle all over!

"Nothing. The only thing you've done is what you think is right. Skeletor is a monster. He wants the power of Greyskull for the forces of evil. You're the only one who can stop him. But you can't do it alone. Especially when he allies with his former teacher. Hordak is more powerful than he is, but if they combined their power, you need your sister. He feels if he treats you the same as he's treating his son, he'll be able to control you. As a parent myself, I know he just wants to protect Adam, but he doesn't know how. He hasn't had to in the past. You have, as have a lot of others." His mother's reassured him. "His words were meant to physic you out. It's sort of like hypnosis. What he was trying to make you do is lose focus. I don't know why he suddenly wants to do that to you. But I do know the king has never prevented you from getting help in the ten years you've been protecting his planet. If I had foreseen it..."

He-Man looked into his mother's eyes, cutting her off mid-sentence. "What are you talking about? As I told Duncan, I recognized the jewel but I had no idea it was THAT jewel. I thought it was lost in the abyss. I threw it there myself. It was the only thing I could do at the time. Skeletor and Hordak traded information; I'm sure of it! I was focused on keeping them away from Greyskull, so it wouldn't hurt you. I didn't worry about the possibility of it hurting me. You know what it did to you the last time. I wasn't going to take that chance. That's the one way I know of to keep Greyskull safe."

"Blaming yourself won't help either. You did your job. You certainly couldn't warn me about the shot, since you don't want Skeletor or any of his minions finding out your secret. They would hold it against you." She then looked into her son's exhaustion filled eyes, "I wonder how long Shyara's going to be. I worry about her when she's not here. I should have seen it sooner. What did that demon do to her?"

He-Man knew her mother's words of concern were directed to his sister. "You and I both. She shouldn't be too long, if there isn't a problem." He looked deep into her mother's eyes, sensing her concern. He had a promise to keep, but he needed to tell her something, otherwise he would not hear the end of it. "Hordak shot down Swifty, she landed hard. She hasn't had time to do anything about it until now. When she gets back, we have a lot to talk about. She needs to rest."

"Who comes back?" The deep voice of his father asked coming around behind him. "Did I miss Shyara again? I knew she had to go update her friends, but I hate when she doesn't tell me. I don't see her until her next visit, and who knows when that will be. I'm always the last one to know she left, but I went to get her. I didn't think she'd leave so fast. Nor did I plan on falling asleep on the couch."

"Yes, but she's coming back. We both agreed it would be better if we didn't wake you. From what she's told me you were more concerned about me then yourself. The only reason she left, was so that she could update Casta, and tell her about her plans to test the rebellion, and find out if they can handle things without her. If they can, she can visit more." His eyes moved to his father, "We're still going fishing right?"

"I don't know. With the way things are going we might have to put a hold on that fishing trip again. There's supposed to be a server storm today and the fish don't bite when it rains. But you can still visit with your sister. Perhaps when the storm clears, we can still have that overdo fishing trip. There hasn't been a peep out of Skeletor. That's unusually, at least in my experience."

"That's what Shyara was saying too. Skeletor is not known for being this quiet. It usually means he's planning something and something big. I'm sure glad she's coming back. We might need her help."

Veena looked into her son's eyes filled with motherly concern, "From what she was saying Hordak has been quiet as well. You don't think those two have formed an alliance again do you?"

He swallowed. The last time they had formed an alliance, nearly four years ago now his father had been seriously injured." I really hope not. But if he is, we'll need all the help we can get. I can't take on Skeletor, Hordak and their entire army alone. Especially if Father is stuck at the palace."

"Well if he is, we'll be ready this time. I may as well try to figure out what's going on. I don't like it being this quiet. It always seems to mean something bigger is coming."

"Good idea. I'll go make myself useful and find Shyara. She should be back by now."

"Try the gardens."His mother suggested. "She usual goes there when something's troubling her. Don't yell at her though. She's handling a lot of weight being here. And while she may remember your father's injury differently than you do, it's because of the age difference. But you're right she needs the vacation more than she's likely to admit."

"I know that. If there was some way I could convince King Randor of that very fact I'd have a better time actually leaving for a few days to give her a hand. She may be distracted by something but she always tells me when she comes backWhy didn't I think of that?"

"I'm a mother, I know everything. Or so you used to tell me. Besides if you weren't so distracted you could have figured it out yourself. Besides I don't think she wants to worry you anymore then you're already worried."

Once he outside, he followed the path he knew so well. The garden's plants, flowers, and trees, not only had spell on them so they wouldn't die, an everlasting life spell as their mother called it. The garden itself was not viable to the outside world thanks to another spell. It was a family secret, but very few others knew about it. It took He-Man only a few minutes to find his sister, who just as he thought was sitting next to his favourite fishing spot. It was close enough to the castle to be in the boarders of safety, but far enough so she could find herself lost in her thoughts.

"Something wrong sis? You usually let me know you're back. Father was getting worried."

Her brother's quiet statement caught her by surprise, and nearly fell off the low hanging branch she was sitting on. With two well-timed steps he caught her. "You okay? What gave you the idea it might be a good idea to climb a tree? I don't think you're in any position to take four to six weeks off while you nurse a broken arm."

"No, quite the opposite actually. My intention was not to worry anyone; I lost myself in the past. I would have waited for you, but I needed some fresh air. Time to gather my thoughts. I'm spoiled here. And may I remind you I didn't break my arm falling out of a tree, that was Adora. I fell off of a horse if I remember correctly. Besides Adora was much higher up then I was."

"Right, I forgot. Why do I think you fell off a tree branch? You're thirteen years older; I should be able to know the differences by now." He paused, "When you say you're spoiled, do you mean the fact you have the luxury of a nice soft bed while everyone else sleeps on an uncomfortable camp cots? And the fact, you're being taken care of by someone other than yourself?"

She nodded, "Exactly. I have to lock my shelter. In fact I brought it with me just in case."

"That's a luxury, you're allowed once and awhile sis. But I know how you feel. But there is something I've come to realize. For your own mental health, you need a break. You won't do anyone any good if you make a mistake, you're only human. You hold the entire weight of the planet on your own, and after a while, it takes a lot out of you. I wasn't kidding when I said this job we hold is emotionally and physically draining, it's mentally draining too." He paused, it was like he could sense something was troubling her and he knew of only one way of making her feel better or so he hoped "Okay, so what's bothering you? You're not too big to be thrown into the lake. You'd know I'd do it! I've done it before and I can do it again."

'_Oh boy, he's back to normal. I have to think fast on this one.'_ His sister thought before replying "Oh really? Maybe I should just go home then."

Even though her brother understood she was teasing him, he gave her a look, telling her he had no intentions of letting her leave. It was the same come back he had once used when he came face to face with a certain Ice Princess who used her powers to seduce him. "Okay, I take it back. That was mean and uncalled for! I'm sorry. I'm not mad at you at all. I'm just trying to let down my guard a bit. It's not easy, since this was Hordak's first target years ago."

"Forget about it. It makes up for what we could not get away with as kids. There wasn't really any reason for it. I have the same problem you know."

"The last time I tried fighting with you was out of stress and emotion, and I called you a big jerk. I take it back. Even though it's like at least twenty years overdue."

He-Man smiled, "Sis, I probably was a big jerk at the time. I've never taken offence especially when I know it's your emotion talking, not you. What's wrong? Is Bow tormenting you again? If you really need to deal with him, do it. He won't do it again. I sure wouldn't if I was in his shoes. I've seen you take care of bullies. And that's what he is. I've dealt with him once already. It should have put a stop to it."

"No, he wasn't at camp. For once he was actually on a supply run, or that's what Casta said. But I think he's scared of you. He hasn't tried it since at least to me. Adora actually gave him a piece of her mind too, kicked him pretty hard when he wouldn't go somewhere with him. I haven't had time to do anything about it so Adora took it into her own hands. I think he was trying to get her somewhere "safe". She's quite capable of taking care of herself, but not a lot of people actually see that."

"She's been able to do that from a young age, thanks to you. The last thing you need to worry about is a bully who is supposed to be on your side, or protecting Adora from those who are supposed to be her friends." He paused. "I think this calls for a change of venue don't you think. Take a walk with me hum." He reached down and pulled her to her feet.

They walked in silence for a while until they were well out of the hearing range of over worried parents. The view from this particular spot was amazing. "I haven't been up here since I was a child. This is the best view of the capital city I know." She-Ra exclaimed perching herself on a rock, while her brother, leaned against a tree.

"I know. It's one of my favourite spots. I've done a lot of thinking here. Adam's never been up here."

"Neither of the twins have. It's our secret remember?" She-Ra smiled, but for the moment her focus was on her brother's health and wellbeing. Not the past. "How are you doing? I'm really starting to wonder how you haven't got yourself killed. You can only hold so much. King Randor certainly isn't making things easy for you when you have a lot of other things that should be your priority."

"It doesn't usually bother me sis. It's when he starts talking about you or Adora when you're not present, there's not a damn thing I can do about it. Adam tried to step in on my behalf a few days ago. It was about something stupid. You know what his father did? He told him to stay out of it, as he didn't know what he was talking about. I know Prince Adam a lot better than many people, including his father. But that was my breaking point. The little boy that I helped raise stood up for me as an adult and his father says stay out of it. He knows a lot more than his father believes. I had to walk out before I did or said something I'd regret. Mother says that he's just doing the same thing to me as his son, so he can control me. But I'm not going to let him. I've too many more important things to let it bother me."

His sister looked him in the eyes, "Okay, let me get this straight. He gave you a lecture as if you were some guard, fresh out of the academy, after everything you've done for Eternia and his family; after the many times you've risked your life for his kingdom against Skeletor or Hordak, and nearly died because of it? And the son, who you just happen to have given up your retirement to protect and partially help raise, isn't allowed to say something on your behalf. How does that make sense?"

"It doesn't." Her brother agreed. "But here's the interesting thing. If I try to talk to him about it, or even mention you he goes ballistic. If Adam mentions Adora, let's just say you can hear their argument from the other side of the palace. It's not pretty. It's almost as if King Randor has given up on Adora ever coming back. What sort of father would do such a thing. It's not as if Adora didn't try to talk to him."

"Okay, it sounds to me like it's no longer just about Adora leaving. It sounds personal. What have you possibly done; what have I possibly done, to cause him to feel this way? Adora tried to talk to her father before she left, but he wouldn't listen. She had to leave. Hordak was getting too much for the rebellion to handle. She left because her father refused to see her a second time. The letters she spends hours preparing on stationary haven't been opened yet. And as much as it hurt me for even bringing up the idea I feel a lot better when she's with me. We simply told her father that because I was going to help the rebellion, Adora and Katelyn would be going with me."

"I know that. King Randor claims you didn't go to him prior to leaving Eternia therefore you abandoned the planet. You're legal age, you don't need anyone's permission. Including the king's. You were more than ready to protect Etheria by yourself. In a sense you did have Fathers blessing, and mine too even if I didn't like the idea at first. Adora HAD to go with you, whether King Randor likes it or not. You don't need the king standing in your way. He listens to his people, yet he didn't listen to his own children."

"Only the king can explain his reasoning." She then looked into his eyes. "It could be that he once feared losing his wife when he was first married, now he could lose one of his children."

"That does make a lot of sense. But I think we should both approach him. You have a calming presence."

His sister laughed, but was cut off as she was about to respond," Since when." She questioned. "I've never known you to have problems talking to King Randor before."

"Since forever. Forgive me if I sound selfish to the Etherian people, but when you were living here, I felt as if the weight of the planet was not nearly as heavy as it once was. As it is, has been for the past six months. With Father attending the alliance meetings, I can't rely on him all the time. But with you here, it also allowed me to know you were safe. I know you can handle yourself; you always have from a very young age mind you. I can rely on you when I need it, but it's not the same. That change might be the reason King Randor is making our lives difficult. Mother, father, Duncan and I had an interesting talk."

"I don't think you sound selfish. Maybe when she came to see him her words caught him off guard. Didn't you tell me you kept it from him until you were sure I was really going?"

"Yes. I think I know where you're going sis, but please continue."

"When Adora came to him, it was to tell him she decided she was go with me, as an adult not as a child. First she went to her brother, who agreed to go with her, since he knew their father a lot better than she does. I figure King Randor always believed you were the twins' bodyguard, not just Adam's. Having Adora leave throw his plans for her off track. He became angry and used you as the primary target; you got in the way so to speak, even if you were only doing your job. But that does not explain why he accuses me of abandoning Eternia, and why he yelled at Adora, rather than trying to understand."

"I remember that. Even when you were still thinking about the idea it seemed to affect father a little, even though he won't admit it. But knowing of the prophecy set years ago, he understood. But that didn't make it any easier for him to let you go, but he had to. As for me, I may have grumbled a bit at the idea sis, but I never yelled at you the way King Randor did. I know how to talk to you, without raising my voice. King Randor doesn't know his children like I do, or my sister for that matter. He never has, because he didn't want to get to know you."

Before his sister has a chance to reply his communicator went off. He-Man knew who it was just by the chime, "Yes, Duncan."

"Sorry to ruin your afternoon. The King just contacted Greyskull. He wants you and your sister back within the hour. We'll meet you at King's Point." Came the reply.

He-Man looked over at his sister mouthing '_King Randor wants us at the palace. He knows your here but none of the masters would give that secret up. They all took a vow of secrecy. We have a traitor in our mist.'_ before replying." With the way these clouds are looking Duncan, it'll take us forty minutes to get to King's Point. I'm not going to get caught in another storm because the king wants to talk to me in person refusing to use another method of communication."

"From what my readings are telling me it won't be an electo storm it'll be a plasma storm. Get to shelter as soon as you can. You know what to look for."

"Oh great!" He-Man muttered. "With the way I'm feeling I don't like the idea of getting trapped in a storm, no matter what kind of storm it is." But before he was able to reply the clouds above him exploded and rock like drops fell from the sky. "Duncan, if you two haven't left yet, get back inside!"

But all that he received was static telling him he had lost communications. "Damn it! Sis we have to go. Now!" He sensed his sister's fear. "We'll make it." That was the last thing he remembered.

She-Ra knew very little about the reasons why storms such as the one that they were stuck in caused magical powers such as theirs to be drained, but she knew if she didn't do something fast, she'd fall unconscious alongside her brother. Without a second thought, she slung him over her shoulder, careful not to hurt him, and ran. The only thing that mattered right this very moment was getting her brother inside. With nearly five metres left, She-Ra's legs gave way. Her breath was harsh. A pair of strong arms caught her within seconds of falling to the ground. "Let's get him inside." She couldn't see who it was, but if she could guess it was her father.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

He didn't know how long he had been sleeping but for the second time in two days he was awaken from a deep sleep. It wasn't blasting from freeze or plasma rays, or shouts of warning. It was Teela. In the background rain hit the roof like a stampede of horses. "Hello is anyone there? He-Man? Father? Can anyone hear me? Please respond!" She called, her voice shaking.

Still half asleep He-Man reached for the black communicator kept on his bedside table for emergencies. Teela wouldn't wake him unless there was trouble. "Teela, what's going on?" He-Man replied. He shook his head trying to trying to focus.

"He-Man, thank goodness. King Randor contacted your father over an hour ago. He wants to know why you're not here yet." Teela replied.

"The last time I heard he and Duncan we're going to be heading to Eternos. She-Ra and I were supposed to follow. The last thing I remember was losing contact with your father, telling my sister we had to get inside fast, and then everything goes blank. I have no idea how she would have been able to get me inside." He-Man shook his head, trying to clear his vision. "Tell the king we'll be there as soon as we can. I'm not going to risk our lives just because he wants to talk to me."

"Possibly because she knew she had no other choice. That storm looks nasty He-Man. You've done it for her remember? I'll let him know. Be careful. Teela out."

Once his communicator was safely back on the bedside table He-Man exchanged a short glance with his sister "What happened? I remember trying to get back here, after being in contact with Duncan, but after that everything goes blank."

"I'm not really sure myself. I do know I had a heck of a time trying to figure out how I was going to get you from where we were, back inside, a distance of about 150 metres. I had to get you inside, before it happened to me. The storm caught us by surprise."

"I don't remember getting here. The last thing I remember was losing contact with Duncan."

"I was wondering if even you two were going to get back inside fast enough. It was lucky we hadn't left yet. Your father noticed your sister was struggling and went out to help before I could." He-Man nodded." We can't leave unless you're alright. I met your sister and father inside and helped her get you to your room. You're very lucky." Duncan explained. "Thankfully neither of you were seriously hurt. You just needed rest. We'll be right back. I've to talk to your sister for a minute or two."

"What did I do now?"

Her brother smiled, nodding, "Nothing; that I know of." He then looked into his mentors' eyes, "He just wants to reassure you I'm alright. There are reasons, but only he can explain. I could too but he's a lot better at it than I am."

Duncan beckoning She-Ra to follow him. Her eyes met Duncan's. "You asked me earlier what was wrong with him. Adrenaline withdrawal, in addition to the storms power. It's making his powers go out of whack. How did you know you needed to get him inside?"

"I've only experienced a plasma storm once before. Let's just say I could almost visualize myself in his shoes when I was in the same position. I also memorized his emergency plan he sent me. In short get inside if you're able. If not take shelter. He sent it to me to see if I needed to add anything else yet I didn't. I've tried to put it in place with the rebellion, but they think it's a waste of time. I just did what I had to do. He collapsed into my arms. It was like his powers were drained and he couldn't move. Um Duncan, what's Adrenaline withdrawal? I've never heard the term used before."

"Of course you haven't. I keep forgetting, you didn't take hold of the entire swords power at the same time, as you were planning. And your brother hasn't had time to explain this to you. You already know the swords were separated because the combined power is extremely taxing. What I mean by that is the amount of power the sword holds is too powerful for you or your brother to take on alone." Duncan paused as he took a breath. "_When it was apparent Skeletor wasn't going to be beaten with the He-Man's power alone, he had no choice but to take on the other half of the sword. But for your brother to do that, there were also risks. Adam understood he was the only one who could take the swords power rather quickly. It was the only way he would be able to be there when he found you and Adora. But there's more than that. While he's merged with Adam some of that power involves a great deal of adrenaline. After what he's been through over the last week or so, the adrenaline levels are off the charts. All this causes his body to shut down for a time since it's no longer needed, it's just trying to rebalanced since his energy levels work over time to compensate for it and he has no choice but to sleep in order for the energy levels to recharge, sort of like a battery that's been used too long and put in a charger overnight. He cannot relinquish the power until it's stabilized which means I had to convince the king that he's safer in the 'safe room' until the troubles are over. It was then Queen Marlena reminded me that your brother is helping at the camp so we won't be seeing him for a while. It's one of the main reasons Prince Adam is seen as 'lazy' at least in the eyes of his father. Usually it doesn't take more than a few hours before he's back to normal. You're reaction wasn't unexpected. You may be feeling some of those effects too."_

"It's sort of like the same thing you feel after using your healing powers for a long period of time Sis." Her brother explained.

"Is this the reason neither of you like when I use that particular power, particularly on you?" The answer was obvious by she wanted to hear it from her father.

"One of them." her brother said from behind her. "They almost killed you when you tried to save me once."

"What?" She-Ra's eyes met her brother's. She closed her eyes for several minutes trying to remember what he was talking about. "You're talking about when we went riding that one day, and Hordak ambushed us. You told me to get back inside while you cover me, but I wouldn't?" Her brother nodded. "May I remind you that you would have died had I just stood by and done nothing? I can forgive myself for a lot of things, but that's not one of them. I was nine. I had no idea I had that sort of power."

"I know sis. It wasn't that you had lack of power, necessarily, it was the fact you had lack of skill to control the power. Do you remember what Father once said about using a sword, it has to bend, or it will break, and you have to learn to control it before it controls you? Same thing applies. And while you've learned to control the great powers, it also brings back old memories. Especially when you use them on me."

Duncan's eyes moved from the window, where he had gotten lost with his thoughts back to the sibling heroes, "We have to wait out the storm. It's too dangerous. I'm not going to risk it again."

"Duncan we have to." He-Man argued as he struggled to stay upright. "Teela contacted me stating King Randor wants to know why we haven't left yet. I told her we'd be there soon."

"As much as I hate to admit it, I overheard their conversation. She seemed desperate to provide King Randor with an answer he'd be happy with. Somehow, he knows I'm here."

"It seems, we may have traitor. Are you sure you are going to be alright?" He nodded. "Alright then. We'll meet you at king's point in an hour. Stay in contact, in case you get trapped."

"We will." After watching his father and mentor leave, he looked over at his sister. "You alright sis?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Are you sure you're alright?" She looked into his eyes.

"No, I'd rather stay in bed for awhile, but I have no choice, but to shake it off." Her brother returned. "To be perfectly honest the last thing I remember is seeing you collapse on the way out of my room. It seems as if the storm is starting to affect your powers too. I don't really want to travel during a dangerous storm such as this one but we have no other choice. King Randor is demanding a report and as always he wants it in person."

She-Ra's eyes widened, "You can't be serious. How do you expect to go riding-"

"What?" Her brother asked, cutting her off. "You used to go riding with me all the time. What's so different? You've got amazing balance. If you can ride 5000 feet above the ground, you can handle Battle Cat."

"I have no objection riding Battle Cat. He's faster than anything I've ridden before. It's possible he may be faster than Swifty, but we have yet to figure that one out." Her brother smiled, "What's worrying me is the storm. You collapsed outside remember? I don't know how I got you inside, but I did. What do I do if it happens again, not just to you, but to me? If King Randor knows the effects of the storm, don't you think he can wait till it's less threatening?"

"No sis, he can't. He's well aware of the power of a plasma storm, and what it does to a being that possesses great power. If we want to rendezvous with Duncan and Father, we have to go now. As long as we travel during the brief breaks between the storms stages, we'll be fine." He replied. "How is Swifty?"

"Swifty's fine, he's on his own vacation to a place he rarely visits. In fact he told me to bring you to his favourite place the next time you come for your 'quiet little visit'. There's someone he wants you to meet. But that's all I can tell you. But he did say bring your fishing rod! While I'm not there very often there is a very nice fishing pond. And since I know you and Father were planning on going fishing before this started, and Swifty knows how much you love fishing it's by his insistence that you come. You're one of the few humans besides me he trusts. He doesn't let just anyone ride him you know. He bucked Bow a few times when he tried to ride him. I felt sorry for him, but I had warned him not to do that for that very reason."

He-Man nodded, "I know. Battle Cat's the same way. I just might do that. It's supposed to rain today, so we're not going fishing anytime soon. Would he mind if I bring Father and Duncan along?"

"No, I'm sure they'd enjoy it."

"I am too, especially if it's quiet on Etheria for once." Glancing around he scanned the room for his tiger. "Battle Cat!" The tiger joined him seconds later. "No time like the present. Ready?" He held out a hand and gave her an easy lift up behind him.

Seconds before they made it down to the throne room and eventually to the drawbridge they met up with their mother, "I understand your reasoning, but it's better you're prepared this time. Even on Battle Cat it will take several hours to get to the palace." Veena advised referring to their supply bags.

"Good idea. Duncan always says you can never be too prepared. Father and Duncan took the Wind Raider. I don't want to walk, especially in this weather." He-Man replied as he and his sister slipped on the bags tightening the chest and waist belt so the supplies would be balanced and there was less risk of injury.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Their mother questioned.

"No, but the king isn't likely to go for that. He never does. We'll be alright."

"The King is putting more pressure on you then you're likely to admit. Well I suppose you have no other choice do you? I put something in your bag that will help alleviate the effects. Use it sparingly." She said but it was no use the wind was too strong.

All she could do was pray they heard her. Veena went back inside using her magic to close the drawbridge and force field behind her sending a silent prayer for her family's safety. '_Please let them get there safely without any problems!'_


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

An Eternian Tiger charged through the dense bushes of the Evergreen forest. His enormous paws thundered against the damp ground leaving large imprints on the path that lead towards the capital city Eternos and the Palace of Eternia. The tiger's eyes danced from the forest around them, and then up into the canopy of trees far above them. Something or someone was watching them; waiting for the right time to strike. He could only hope his riders were equally aware that someone was watching them. His riders, He-Man, along with his sister, were also on guard, more than normal. With each second that passed he could feel his cat's anxiety, "Better keep your eyes and ears open cat, this part of the forest is dangerous this late at night, but we have to get to the palace as quickly as possible."

"And I thought the Whispering woods were creepy at night." She-Ra commented from the back of the saddle holding on to her brother's shoulders for dear life.

"They can be. The Evergreen Forest has been known to be creepy too, if you don't know your way around. As long as we stay on the correct path, and nowhere near the Vine Jungle, we will be fine."

She-Ra then gripped the saddle back harder. The Vine Jungle was the most dangerous place on Eternia next to Snake Mountain, but she trusted her brother, even if it gave her an uneasy feeling.

"Don't worry sis," He said reaching back for her hand, taking it in a brief reassuring squeeze "I know this forest like the back of my hand. I do this all the time, though not usually at night."

Before She-Ra could reply, Battle Cat collapsed beneath them as a hidden hunter's trap snapped around his front paw, sending his riders in two different directions.

"He-Man!" Battle Cat growled, hissing with pain. He-Man went soaring into the woods, going headfirst into a tree while his sister when in a completely different direction. He braced a hand against the broken trunk as he got to his knees, his other hand automatically going to his neck, where pain was radiating. The collision should have snapped his neck—it would have, if it had been Adam.

Coming back to his senses, He-Man whirled around just in time to see Battle Cat fall heavily onto his side, the scorpion lady standing over him with a triumphant grin on her face, telling him what he feared the most, Battle Cat had been seriously injured. He-Man ran at her and grabbed her by the wrists, twirled her around and tossed her into the trees nearby. He started to turn back to Battle Cat, but a sudden wave of nausea hit him causing his knees to buckle, but he wouldn't go down all the way.

He managed to look up as he went down to his knees; the bug-eyed red fish man was the one doing it. The two fired their magic at him simultaneously in such a widespread arc that he couldn't deflect it all with his sword. He dodged to his right, rolled, then regained his feet, sword still in hand. "You're going to have to do better than that," he taunted them as his mind raced through options. '_So am I. I'm not going to be able to keep this up much longer. I can only hope She-Ra's alright._'

"And so we shall," Skeletor agreed. He blasted his magic at He-Man, who swung his sword to deflect the blow. A split second later, Evil-Lynn fired her magic. He-Man twisted his torso to avoid it.

"Enough of this!" Evil-Lynn cried.

A brilliant flash appeared before He-Man's eyes. He squeezed them shut and ducked his head instinctively. It was too late. An additional blast hit He-Man from behind; as his muscles convulsed and he fell to the ground once more. A raw yell emerged involuntarily from his throat. Laughing, Skeletor added his own power to the spell. The pain screeched along every nerve.

Time ceased as his entire world became a blur of torture. Slowly, his body began to shut down out of self-defence. His vision began to darken just as they stopped their attack. Skeletor said something, but He-Man didn't know what it was; he was too lost in the haze of pain. He fought to stay awake, but it was a battle he lost in less than a minute.

He-Man groaned as he came to, his vision blurry. Shrugging, He-Man eased himself into a sitting position, leaning against the closest object he could find; a tall tree. He shut his eyes against his pounding head for a moment, then slowly opened them again. "Battle Cat," he called weakly, straining to see through the sudden blurring in his vision. "Cat!" There was no answer. '_I can't help him, if I can't see,'_ He-Man realized. He raised his sword and called out, "By the power of Greyskull!" Once his health was restored, for the most part, he scanned the area, only to find Battle Cat ten yards away, his great form, perfectly still. '_I can't look for her and help Battle Cat at the same time. She-Ra's the one who has the know how to heal animals, not me. I don't want to know how badly she'd be weakened if she has to use her powers, but she won't let anything happen to him, regardless of what it does to her.'_

He-Man's heart stopped, then lurched sinking down to his partner, and lifelong animal companion side. "Battle Cat," the hero said anxiously. There was still no response." Please, don't be dead, please!" He-Man prayed.

He looked around but his sister was nowhere to be seen. Calling out to her was not an option, since if there were any enemies in the vicinity they would take their separation to their advantage. He looked down at his wristband, which held a personal communicator for use between himself and his sister. Not even King Randor knew about it. It was his only chance,

Not too far away She-Ra was waking up after being thrown in a different direction. At first her eyes were blurry and the pain in her head felt as if someone was hitting her with a sword. "Oh," she moaned softly. Instinctively she to put her hand to her head.

It was more than a second later her brain registered the panic sound of her brother's voice coming from the wrist band communicator, "She-Ra, can you hear me?"

"I can hear you. What's wrong? Where are you? I know better than to go wandering around by myself but in this case I have no choice." She asked pulling herself to her feet. "Whoever ambushed us planned on separating us."

"It certainly seems like it. Battle Cat's hurt. His front paw was caught in a hunters trap, hidden on the path. We were ambushed, and he was stung by Scorpion. I can't revive him. We need help." He replied. She-Ra could sense the fear in her brother's words, and knew something terrible had happened.

She-Ra's heart went in her throat. When they first found Battle Cat as a kitten he was in the same predicament, and as young as he was he almost died had she not intervened. Hunting was outlawed on Eternia but some people ignored the laws, especially those who served Skeletor. "If I knew where you were, I'd be there in a matter of seconds." came the reply. She-Ra's eyes moved towards her belt which held a small device used as a locator. "If you have your beacon I can find you."

"It's already on send. All you have to do is put yours on receive, by putting the button towards the top. Once you do you'll be able to see a map of the forest and you should be able to see two dots representing myself and Battle Cat as well as a dotted lined representing a path to get you to us. But be careful Sis." Her brother advised, "We're not the only ones out here. I was attacked by Scorpina. Battle Cat needs me, but I can't heal him. And if they are here, I have no doubt their old Jar Head boss isn't far behind." He failed to mention Blade was out there, and though he would be sorry for it later, it was only to protect his sister; or more importantly Adora. He knew about their relationship but now all Blade wanted was to get Adora back to Hordak, and he was not about to let that happen. He was her bodyguard- or one of them and took the responsibility seriously.

There was a long pause as She-Ra switched her locator to receive. "Got yah. Are you alright?"

He ignored her question, "Just be careful Sis. I don't advise wandering around in this forest alone at night, I'm not about to lose sight of Battle Cat when he's hurt; especially if those who attacked us are likely to come back. I need to stick close to him just in cases. You're not far. I'll do what I can to help you."

"I understand. I'll be there in a few minutes. I'll help him. I know how much he means to you. I may not have always admitted it, but he means the same to me."

"Thanks sis. Keep your com open so I know you're alright. I don't like being separated from you for this long."

"I don't like it anymore then you do. I'll be there as quick as I can. Let's hope all those years of living around here paid off and I can remember how to get to you." As she walked it seemed as if she was becoming closer to where her brother was and it only took a matter of seconds to find him.

When She-Ra saw him sitting next to his beloved tiger she knew his injuries were pretty serious and it a matter of seconds before she crouched beside him. His normally clear eyes, emotionless eyes, were filled with tears, something she hadn't seen in a very long time. All she could do was lay a comforting hand on his shoulder. Her heart was full of concern for not only her brother, but his pet tiger, who was seriously injured, and lay next to him, so still. "You alright?"

He nodded, "It's not me I'm worried about Battle Cat pushed me out of the way so I didn't get stung. When he bucked us, it was because his front foot caught him off balance, that's when he was stung. He's never done that before, at least not against Scorpina." He-Man said but his sister was not going to take that for an answer and he knew it."I'm alright sis."

"I know. He can foresee these sorts of things before you can. He saved your life by doing that. Let's hope I can help him. "_He's almost lost him once thanks to a hunter's trap, I've got to make sure it doesn't happen again, regardless of what it does to me. I have to for both of our sakes. If something happens to him, nothing will ever be the same. I may have not known it when we found him, but I love him just as much as my brother does. Please let this work.' _She-Ra gentle examined the trap. "A pincer traps. Once the victim steps on it the springs give way and closes around whatever part of them is within the trap. In this case, its Battle Cat's leg, and it's got a tight hold. Hang on buddy. It'll hurt, but I'll get you out of there." She whispered looking up at her brother, his eyes red from unshod tears. She reached for his hand giving it a reassuring squeeze. Pulling the two sides of the trap apart, carefully preventing her hands from getting cut by the sharp teeth like groves that made up part of the trap. Once there was room, she pulled the tiger's leg free. As she did it destroyed the trap so another innocent creature wouldn't be harmed.

It only took a short wordless glance with her brother. While he didn't like it when she used her powers he knew they would be his tigers only chance. "Don't worry." She shot back. "Now let's see about those wounds." She-Ra said, gently placing a hand on the tiger's head and the other on his leg, "For the honour of Greyskull, let your wounds, be healed." Seconds after her hands moved away She-Ra's heart felt as if it was going to beat right out of her chest. ''_Please let this work.''_

The roar from Battle Cat put their fears to rest. "Oh thank goodness." He-Man's eyes moved to the sky as his feline partner tackled his sister for the third time since she had arrived. The moon had risen but it was blocked by dark cloud.

"Thank goodness is right." She-Ra got shakily to her feet accepting the hand her brother held out to her. Healing animals was easier then healing humans, but it took a lot out of her, more so in a powerful storm such as the one they were stuck in.

"You alright?" He-Man asked, looking deep into her baby blue eyes. It was one thing to lie to her friends, but he wasn't going to let her lie to him. He knew her, better than anyone.

She nodded to her brother. But she knew he wasn't going to take that for an answer. "I'm fine. We have to get out of here before the storm over comes us. Battle Cat may not be able to go on for long after being hurt like that. We need to find shelter and soon, something strong enough to shield us from the storm."

He-Man stared at her for a few seconds, hearing the truth in her words. But now his muscles protested. A sudden cramp in his stomach brought him tumbling to the ground; gritting his teeth, he rolled and regained his footing as quickly as he could. The adrenaline faded, his vision blurred, and he sank weakly to his knees. His sister was at his side in a matter of seconds. His vision then returned, seeing the warm blue eyes of his younger sister staring at him with concern. It seemed to take forever. It took several long minutes before her brother opened his eyes, to She-Ra it felt like hours.

"Are you alright?" She asked as she pulled him into a tight hug, tears running freely.

"Yeah. Something drained my strength for a minute. Its back now it's because of the storm, nothing I can do about it but get inside." He said, climbing to his feet. He then looked into her eyes, "The storm is getting worse, do not use your powers. The storm will suck our powers like a vacuum."

She nodded, as their mother's warning replayed back in her mind. "It all make sense. I won't use it again unless there's no other choice."

"Thanks Sis." He was about to continue a hard wind started to blow nearly knocking her off her feet had it not been for her brother. He nodded, letting the subject drop for the moment; he had other things to worry about. "Hang on to me sis. For now, I've got my balance, I'm not sure how long that's going to last. We have to stay together!" He-Man replied carefully balancing himself while holding his sister until she regained her balance.

Even Battle Cat, who had four paws, had difficulty. Looking over at his tiger He-Man hung on to a tree to catch his breath, "You alright to go on Cat, we need to find somewhere to protect us. I won't risk my life just because King Randor's demanding I give him a report. He's lived on Eternia his entire life, he should know how dangerous these storms are."

"Then what are we waiting for. I'm brave enough to stay out here, but not dumb enough." The cat growled. "There are caves not too far from here."

"Good. The longer we're out here the more dangerous the storm become. The caves will shield and prevent our powers from being weakened even more. "After remounting He-Man pulled his sister on behind him, "Let's go Cat."

In a matter of minutes they arrived to a large cave just as the rain started tumbling down. Large sparks of lightning covered the sky but the rock formation of the cave protected the three of them from the dangerous storm. "I'm glad you found this cave when you did. It feel like is draining my strength too." She-Ra said rubbing the tiger as she huddled in the corner of the cave.

"That's not good sis. Not good at all." He changed the subject when he saw the fear playing his sister's eyes. "Don't worry, we'll be fine."

"I'm not worried about us. I'm worried about Father. He didn't take any Dragon fruit juice with him did he?"

"I doubt it. He'll be fine sis. He's been dealing with the effects of this sort of storm longer than we have. But I know how you feel. I'm worried about him too."

She-Ra's words were cut off as a flash of lightning filled the sky causing her to jump. "Why are storms here eerier then they are on Etheria?"

Her brother smiled, "The last time you were in one, on Etheria, you nearly died. You're still recovering from the shock. We're safe here. For the time being, let's see if I remember how to use this thing and can get a fire going. I don't think we're going to go home anytime soon and these blankets aren't going to keep us warm for long." He-Man knelt down and used a black rock type lighter on a device called a fire stove. After several minutes the once cold, steel plate, glowed with red with heat spreading warmth throughout the cave. But it didn't last as long as he'd hoped." Well I got the stove working, but it's low on fuel. But it should keep us warm and keep the dangerous animals away."

She-Ra smiled, "Battle Cat's not dangerous? I thought he was once upon a time." She questioned knowing her brother was trying to distract her from her fears to keep her focused.

"Very funny sis. You were what four. I'd be scared too, but I don't think I was. I've always loved tigers, and to find one that was abandoned, I was not about to leave him to die. "His sister nodded in agreement. "But he is dangerous, to those who pose a threat, not to us. I was referring to creatures like Shadow Beasts and Night spiders. I don't know what I'd do without the Cat." But as he was about to continue a heavy weight pulled the breath from his lungs. It took him several seconds to adjust to the weight. "Even when he does that. Again."

She-Ra laughed. "Are you okay?"

"Sure." She watched helplessly as her brother pushed his cat off of him and pushed himself to a sitting position," Ever been pounced by a four hundred and fifty pound cat?"

"Yes. Nearly knocked the wind out of me." The green blur of her brother's tiger was the last thing she saw clearly before finding herself flat on her back with him on top of him. This unexpected weight knocked the wind out of her meaning it took her longer to reply than she hoped, "He's missed me."

"You just figured that one out huh sis? But I admit, his weight did pack a punch when you were not expecting it." He-Man muttered more to himself then to his sister. "It's not the same without you here. I'd think he misses you as much as I do, maybe even more. It's not safe for me to bring him."

His sister smiled, and squeezed his hand reassuringly. "I miss not being here too. This was not the sort of vacation I was hoping to have."

Before She-Ra was able to continue the communicator on He-Man's belt hummed to life and the transmission filled with static they could hear Duncan's voice. "He-Man can you hear me?"

Pulling the communicator from his belt he took a deep breath to calm his temper before putting the device to his mouth, "Duncan, I hear you, but you're breaking up. What's going on? Are you and father alright? I've been worried sick. We didn't make it to King's Point, and have taken shelter."

"We're not there either. We crashed due to the storm. Where are you?"

"In a cave about ten to fifteen clicks from Greyskull. Are either of you hurt? I don't know if King Randor would be happy, but I'm not going to take a risk wandering around in the middle of a plasma storm. The safest thing to do is find shelter, and waited it out."

"It doesn't matter what King Randor tells you. You did exactly what you're supposed to do." Duncan replied, "As for us, no, nothing serious, minor whiplash from the crash. The wind raider died mid-flight, we jumped before it crashed. It's too dangerous to go on, we've got to find shelter soon."

"Good, you don't want to be out in one of these when it really comes down. That will make my father's life difficult, even if he won't admit it. Are you anywhere near the caves?" He-Man asked knowing Duncan knew the area as well as he did, if not better. He had trained him in survival.

Duncan was silent for several minutes "If you have your beacon on you, it would be easier to find you. There's hundreds even thousands of caves around here, but I can tell you're not far."

"I'm reading the same thing on my scanner. We have to stay together, this storm is too dangerous for you to be in it longer then you need to be Duncan. If I don't see you in twenty minutes I'll come looking for you. That storm's going to get worse before it gets better. These are the best forms of cover I could find. Battle Cat was hurt, but he seems to be alright now. She-Ra and I are trying to keep warm with the supplies we have but it's not that easy. We're going to need something else other than just these blankets to keep warm, especially if the storm lasts the night. And with the way things are going right now neither of us have the strength to stay up and keep watch. If we combined supplies"

"Agreed. I have a tinder box and extra fuel. Try to stay warm. Well see you soon." Duncan said and signed off.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

Waiting was not something the champion of Eternia was good at, especially when it had to do with one of his friends or family members. With the storm coming in fast He-Man was beginning to think he'd have to go find Duncan and his father, but he hoped he wouldn't have to. He had been through a ton of storms, but Plasma storms were rare, but they packed a punch. The longer you were out in it, the weaker one could get, especially if they posed some kind of magic ability even an inherited ability.

"Pacing isn't going to make them come any sooner." A gentle female voice said placing a hand on his shoulder stopping him in his tracks.

"I know. I'm worried. If he doesn't take shelter soon he might end up being the one that needs help. It's happened before."

"I knew you were over protective when it came to your sister at times, but being worried about me, this is ridiculous. I've been through enough for these storms as rare as they are to know how long I can spend in them before my own powers go out of whack." a voice asked from the entrance of the cave.

He-Man and She-Ra looked up sighing with relieve as their father and mentor joined them in the cave. "I almost lost you the last time a storm like this brewed Father. I'm not going to let it happen again." He-Man then looked over at Duncan and his father but it was She-Ra who found her voice first. "You sure you two are okay?"

"We're fine, just a little a wet and cold." Grayskull said as his daughter wrapped warmed blankets around both of them.

"The come sit by the fire where it's warm. I will register a complaint to the one who made those emergency kits. Isn't there supposed to be emergency blankets, tinder boxes, emergency rations and first aid supplies? Mother provided me with some of hers."

"Usually, but someone's gone ahead and change that. That's where our supply bags come in handy. I always keep it freshly stocked with more than enough to spare."

Duncan took the ration pack from him, "That's odd; I refilled the emergency supplies myself. I survived the siege of Aragón for seven days and seven nights..."

"With only a flask of two day old water and a handful of combat rations," He-Man finished.

Grayskull, who was there at the time laughed, "That's not the way I remember it. What did he tell you?"

Man-At-Arms grunted, mumbling under his breath. "Obviously your versions of that story don't match. Sorry Duncan I've heard that story oh, fifteen hundred times now, maybe even more." His father nodded, making his own comments about it. He then looked over at his sister, "I told you that story right sis?"

"Yeah I think so. If not, I've heard about it somewhere else. It was a story going around for a long time while we were in the guard. How'd you do that?" she asked, focusing her full attention on her father's arm.

"It's nothing, it's a scrape." He answered, but his daughter didn't take that for an answer. "I must have injured it when we crashed. It's nothing you should waste your-" He sighed, allowing his daughter to treat his arm, "I'm certainly glad you have healer's training."

"If there's one time Mother Eternia will test me, it's today." She places a gentle hand on her brother's arm."You okay? You're not usually this quiet." She questioned. "I can't help unless you tell me."

He nodded, looking in the distance, avoiding her question, "I'll be fine sis. It's not something you can help with anyways." He shivered slightly and it was only his sister who noticed.

She went around behind him laying a warmed blanket around him, "I don't know about that. I remember telling you the same thing and you've always help me. How come I'm so different huh? You're freezing." Her brother nodded. She wrapped the last blanket around him. "This fire needs more fuel. We need wood."

"You read me too well sometimes sis. I'll go. You stay here, and keep warm. I'll be back before you know it." He-Man suggested and left before anyone could protest.

"I don't like this. He's never done this before. It feels like something is weighing him down, causing him to do everything by himself." She-Ra said watching the entrance like a watch dog, waiting for her brother's return.

"Neither do I. He's been like this for a few days now. I have no idea why. Don't feel bad, he won't talk to me either." Grayskull ran a hand through his shoulder length blond hair, the way he always did when he was deep in thought or planning his response. "I haven't had time to question him about it. Even if I did I doubt he'd tell even me. He used to tell me everything. I'm going to give him five minutes and if he's not back I'll go after him. He knows better than to do something like that! Especially without his supply bag."

"He used to tell me everything too. He's not thinking logically. I've never seen him like this, at least not for a long, long time. When I was considering leaving and helping Etheria, he did seem sort of bummed about it but, he did tell me, how he felt. I understood, of course, but he also realized that it was the right thing to do. But there's something more. There was something else King Randor said that he's not telling me. It's clouding his judgement. It has been for quite awhile."

Her father smiled placing a gentle hand on her shoulder sensing his daughter was replying what the King had told her in her head like a broken record. Her usually calm eyes filled with tears, but she was so focused she didn't let even the smallest drop. But knowing his daughter as well as he did, having anyone tell her she was a traitor hurt her more than she was willing to admit and even if she was strong emotionally she needed to let it out somehow.

"I WILL get to the bottom of this. If I have to I'll take the throne myself." Her father looked into her eyes, "I know it's weighting you down, but you have other things to worry about right now. Your brother knows what he's doing, I hope. He's just not thinking straight right now. It can be considered one of the downsides of what Duncan calls Adrenaline withdrawal."

"Father, you don't understand, when we spent the afternoon together today it was to talk. He also told me he could sense me in the 'dream like dimension.' I didn't know it at the time, I was sensing him too."

"OH, but I do understand. I was hit with that same weapon remember? He's blaming himself, has been for a very long time. I figured this was going to happen which is why I knew you'd be the one to link up with him so to speak. You're powers are much more pronounced than they were. He'll be fine. King Randor also made a comment about him relying far too much on the aide of others. Maybe he's trying to prove to King Randor he can protect both kingdoms, like he's been doing from the start."

"I'm worried about him. I knew he wasn't ready to travel, but we had no choice. Yet, we're stuck. That storm is powerful As much as this storm scares me I have to go after him. He might need me."

"I know. You may not remember, but I do, I saw you go down. But that's not what's happening to your brother, at least not yet. We will find him." Grayskull looked into his daughter's eyes, "Just remember Shyara 'without fear, courage is non-existent.' Even though you're scared, you have to put your fears behind you and be strong for those around you. If you don't you'll have a panic on your hands. I learned the hard way a long time ago. You're a very good leader, always have. When stressed your body also shuts down functions other than the 'fight or flight' so you are able to move quickly and increases your tolerance to pain. It's also the reason you're brother ran off, without thinking first."

"I just hope I find him before someone else does."

"You will. Keep your radio open, I want to see what you see. I'll help if I can. If you can't find him, your sword will. It will guide you to him, just as his sword once guided him to you."

She-Ra nodded, "It's almost as if I can feel him, but I have no idea where he is or whether he's hurt."

"The longer the two of you are out there the more of a chance the storm will weaken your powers." Duncan warned handing her a medical kit, fearing the worst. "Your powers may not work as well as they normally do. If the sky turns dark within seconds, you MUST find shelter. And the best shelter is strong caves. Do you think you can manage both packs? The combined weight might be too much even for you, at least at the moment."

"It's a risk I'll have to take. He went after me once, I have to do the same for him." She paused, returning to Duncan's last statement, "Usually I would Duncan, but with the way I'm feeling right now, I'd better not. I will take as much as I can carry, better to be safe than sorry."

"I'll make sure to send it to you if you need it. Please be careful. If you can't find him your sword will."

"I will Father. I'm not worried about myself; I'm worried about my brother."

Her mentor and Father nodded in understanding. "I know, but Shyara, please promise me you won't do something foolish. I almost lost your mother because of it. I can't- I won't lose you too. If you're not back in twenty minutes, I'll come after you. The way things are right now, the trail will be too muddy to climb, if it is take your time. It won't do you any good if you get hurt too. Once you do find him, find shelter. Put your beacon on, it will tell me you're alright for the moment. The communicators might be useless because of the jamming of the signal." She nodded in agreement.

"I have to find him. He did it for me once." She promised pulling on a heavy cloak which would protect her from the storm accepting the supply pack her father gave her, "It's almost as if I can sense him calling to me. He's had to do it before and if he needs help he will do it again. We were attacked before we got here, separated so we'd be valuable. Both Skeletor and Hordak know our powers is stronger when we're together, especially in a storm such as this one." She-Ra said kneeling down beside Battle Cat.

He looked up at her with big round green eyes, and without words she knew she needed to find him. It was very rare that He-Man did not have his feline companion at his side, "Your paws are not made for climbing in mud, even if you have four of them. You're still weakened from Scorpion's sting and that stupid trap. Stay here and rest. I'll find him. I promise."

"That may be true, but you might need help." Battle Cat replied staring into her eyes with the same kitten look that made her fall in love with him all those years ago,"I almost lost you once, I won't do it again. If you need me, I'll know. He-Man will not be happy with me if you go out there alone. Be careful."

She-Ra smiled, as the cat bathed her with kisses before she was finally able to leave the cave. The only thing she knew was her brother needed her and she was not going to rest until she found him. He had done it for her, and that was more difficult than what she was about to do. Or was it? ***

Out in the storm She-Ra was greeting by an unexpected wind and only her amazing balance kept her upright. 'Please be alright please.' she prayed scanning the forest until she saw him. By now the rocky ground was slicked with mud making getting to her brother more difficult, but she wasn't going to leave him out in the storm, the longer he was out in it, the weaker he became. The storm was getting worse. She-Ra's waist length blonde hair, usually full and flowing, was matted to her back, as was the red cape that usually flew out behind her. She looked up into the clouds and frowned. They weren't just dark, they were black, and they covered the entire sky.

It wasn't but twenty minutes later as she headed down a cobble stone path, now thick with mud She-Ra felt the sword on her back give a violent tug. It was more than five minutes later that she saw for herself that her brother was okay, it just was a matter of getting to him. '_Father said my sword will find him. Sort of like a magnet as my brother once described it. Let's hope it works now. I have to hurry. If those clouds get any darker we're going to be in deep trouble.' _

The usual five to ten minute climb became over a half an hour using trees, uprooted tree roots and strong vines to prevent her from falling. By the time She-Ra got to her brother she was drained, but she had no choice but to do what she could to help him, praying that it did not involve the use of her powers. Swallowing heavily she knelt down beside him placing a hand on her brother's shoulder, and shook him. "He-Man, can you hear me?" She questioned ignoring the sharp rock that clung to her knee.

Adam searched his memory for a second, feeling disoriented. The voice sounded familiar, but…. He couldn't figure out who it was.

Putting two fingers alongside his neck she felt for a pulse and sighed with relief when she found one. "Come on, open your eyes." She-Ra said looking up at the storm raging above them. If they didn't get to the cave soon, they'd be in big trouble.

Black specks danced before him He-Man struggled to take a breath. He blinked a few times as his eyes adjusted. He was lying on his right side, his back against the tree. He shifted away as he prepared to get up, and pain streaked across his mid back, taking his breath away all over again. His head was spinning and the black spheres wouldn't go away. He closed his eyes again, breathing in slowly and deliberately.

As his sisters words reached him, He-Man slowly opened his eyes, blinking to clear his vision, but remained alert in case it was some kind of trick, but this time for once it wasn't, "Shyara?" He-Man said in a low whisper. He didn't normally use her birth name out in the open, but it was the only name that came to mind. He forced his eyes open as a hand touched his shoulder. He met the worried and relieved gaze of his sister, "Thank goodness it's only you. I thought you were whomever attacked me, coming back to finish the job. The last thing I remember was getting hit from behind. I didn't see it coming."

"No, I'm here to help. It was a good idea to play opossum. Why didn't you call for help?"

"I was about to, when I got hit from behind, all I was getting was static. Telepathy doesn't seem to be working at the moment, at least for me."

"It must be due to the storm." She looked around, a feeling a dread she had often had on Etheria overcame her, "I think it would be the best time to get out of here." She swallowed, watching a shadow approach her.

Seeing the same thing, He-Man jumped up and put himself between his attacker and his sister, regardless how much the action hurt to do so, "Get back to the cave tell father. I'll cover you." He-Man told her swallowing hard.

"Are you nuts!? I'm not leaving you. You're hurt. No, no, no. This is not the time or place for this argument." She-Ra said as a sudden wave of dizziness hit her brother barely was able to catch her.

He-Man eyes turned from grateful relief to brotherly concern. "Are you alright Sis?" She didn't reply.

She-Ra opened her eyes, looking up at him through blurred eyes, not able to get up,"What's wrong with me? I feel like I've been fighting Hordak, Skeletor and their entire army non-stop for weeks."

He smiled, "Nothing's 'wrong' with you," Her brother soothed, you're feeling the effects of the storms. I've to get you out of here. Before it takes a hold of both of us, leaving us helpless." He shouldered her pack and scooped his sister up,_ "Sorry, Adora, I know this isn't very dignified, but we really need to get out of here."_ He said in a low whisper as he slung her over his shoulder and made a run for it.

But He-Man's reply was cut off by loud clapping, "Touching, very touching. "A dark voice said from the shadows.

Within an instant He-Man leapt into action, recognizing the voice that had tormented his dreams for far too long."GET DOWN!" he cried watching as a sudden barrage of arrows fired from the depths of the forest, slicing through the air and heading right towards He-Man and She-Ra.

The two leapt out of the way, the arrows flying right into the ground spreading poison into whatever it touched. The next shot didn't miss. Instead of impaling his heart, the arrow buried itself deep in his right side. He-Man grunted at the sudden impact, but there was as yet no pain, at least to anyone watching him. Lurching to regain his balance, he bore his sister deep into the dark shadows of the forest, running as fast as he could to put as much distance between those who pursued them as possible. In minutes, the forest had swallowed them, the darkness hiding them, frustrating and maddening the forces of evil.

He-Man staggered as the pain hit, fought it, but knew he couldn't continue carrying his sister. Steadying himself, he lowered her to the ground. "Think you can stand on your own now?" he asked, his voice tight as he listened for sounds of pursuit.

She wobbled a bit, catching hold of his arm, but then nodded. "I can manage," she replied, determined, unwilling to give in to her own dizziness and the pain.

"Go on," her brother instructed. "I'll be right behind you." Ignoring the pain radiating from his back and right side, he steadied her and kept close, reaching out to steady and support her when she stumbled. Holding her right arm across her chest with her left hand, trying to ignore the pain that blazed with each step, she moved out, grateful for his quiet, unobtrusive support, hating that she needed it.

Carefully, moving as fast as they could on the increasingly steep path, they forged on, drawing on their reserves of strength and determination, sharing a grim unwillingness to quit, to be defeated. He-Man knew he should be trying to cover their back trail, and at first, he tried. But, when he bent to gather leaves to scatter over the trail they were leaving, pain ripped through him, bringing a surge of nausea and dizziness. Biting off a groan, he leaned against a tree for a moment to steady himself.

Watching him sink to his knees She-Ra's heart leapt to her throat as she saw that arrow."Oh Ancients, no," she whispered She-Ra ran to her brother sliding down the muddy incline as if she was skiing on snow. She ignored the rock that dug into her knee piercing the skin, as she knelt beside him. He drew in a short, shallow breath as she did so. "He-Man? He-Man!" she called, gathering him up in her arms. "Don't do this to me, please." She cast an anxious glance around them to make sure nobody was watching them, one eye watching her brother as he breathed again, but otherwise did not move.

She watched the shadow approach them, knowing she didn't have much time. "I'm sorry, He-Man, but I've got to get you out of here."

Without wasting time, she hauled him over her shoulder. '_Women's shoulders are not made for this, but it's the fastest way.'_ She thought forcing herself to find her balance only to have the additional weight send her back to the ground, sending her brother down with her. But even as weak as he was, He-Man knew he might hurt his sister if he was to go down with her so he rolled out of the way.

The second it took to recover her footing felt like a lifetime, more so the minute it took her to make it back to her brother's side. It took everything she had to kneel beside him, "Take your own advice Shyara, even you can't do this alone. It's not you, it's the storm." He-Man said weakly."You're going to have to take the arrow out. It's feels like its setting my arm on fire."

"Poison?" She questioned. "If I pull it out, it will make the injury worse, but if it's poison I don't have much choice." she said. She then examined the wound. It had hit the muscle and once the arrow was removed the blood would flow like a racing river. "It's gonna hurt, like hell."She warned. Her eyes scanned the woods, something or someone was watching them again. The movement in the trees, stopped her."On second thought, we can't stop here. We have to keep going." She said finally.

He took his sister's free hand and squeezed it tightly, but not so tight that he would break her hand,"If something happens to me..."He started wincing eyes filled with tears of pain.

She-Ra's eyes widened, she didn't like what she was hearing. "Don't even go there. Nothing's going to happen to you while I'm here."

Before anyone was able to respond a long vine slithered around She-Ra's ankle then around her waist and finally around her stomach pulling her off Battle Cat, and separating her from her brother.

By the time he noticed this she was over fifteen metres away,"Hang on sis."He cried not realizing there was a vine with his name on it too slithering towards him like a hunting snake. It wrapped around him just as tight as it had his sister, catching him by surprise pulling the breath from him. Fighting to stay conscious was not easy, especially due to the fact a powerful storm raged above them, there was nothing he could do.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter fifteen**

He-Man's head jerked up and his blood vessels stood out in stark relief at the pain that burned through him like a hot knife. An involuntary yell was ripped from his throat as the pain ended as suddenly as it had begun, leaving him heaving for breath. "Excellent, you're awake," said the hooded figure."I was beginning to thing I would have to use a more drastic approach to wake you."

He-Man stared at the cloaked man before him. He was Blade, master of the swords and his enemy. "Haven't we already played this game once?" He-Man said struggling against his bounds. "What do you want?"

"My, my, haven't you learned He-Man. One such as yourself shouldn't wander around in a plasma storm. Hordak sent me here to find Princess Adora. You don't by chance know where I can find her?"

"Forget it baldy. I've told you once and I'll tell you again I will never betray the Royal Family."

"Well maybe you'll change your mind after some sleep hum." Blade pressed a button that sent a shock of electricity through him knocking him unconscious.

Seconds after he regained consciousness his first worry was not for himself but for his sister, who like him had been dragged through the forest into a complete opposite direction then where they were heading. But as he tried to get to his feet, he realized he couldn't. His hands were held behind him around a large tree. '_Okay what on Eternia is going on? Evil seed again?'_ He asked himself.

But his thoughts were cut off as a figure came out of the shadows, someone he had hoped he'd never see again. Someone he once believed changed his ways and was on their side. "What do you want?"

"Oh nothing," Blade the master of swords replied, "I just need a simple question answered. Where's the princess? Hordak's missed her. I've been assigned to get her back. I can make it uncomfortable for you if I have to."

He-Man ignored him. "Well, she hasn't missed him. Unlike you I will never betray the royal family. I'll never reveal that secret, especially to you." He-Man said scanning the area with his eyes, trying to figure out if his sister was anywhere close by. "There's nothing you can do to me that hasn't been done before. I won't tell you, so you might as well give up while you have the chance."

Blade's smile grew cold as he stepped closer. "I'm sure I can make you change your mind. Let's try it, shall we?" He plunged the knife into the deltoids muscle of his left shoulder. He clichéd his teeth, but didn't make a sound. He would not give him the satisfaction of his weakness. "That will continue to feel as if I am twisting the knife in your flesh," the master of swords said with a sneer. "It is far more painful than being beaten. All I want is an answer to a simple question. Where's Adora?"

"Forget it."He-Man said tightening his muscles, sending another wave of pain through him.

Blade laughed, pulling the knife out and laid a hand on the wound. "You know the longer you stay out here in this storm the weaker you're going to get. I'm leaving for now. There's someone else I've to see, your sister."

He-Man pulled on the bonds with all his strength, it was fading fast, but he had to get to his sister, "If you hurt one hair on-."

"You're in no position to give orders golden boy." Blade reminded him placing a the tip of his sword next to his shoulder, causing the excruciating pain to wrack his body once more.

A scream was torn from his throat. Time lost all meaning as the pain consumed every part of his mind, making coherent thought impossible. When at last it ended, he was incapable of even thinking to call out a warning to his sister. His mind felt empty of everything except the echoes of his own screams and the aftershocks of the pain he had endured. His ragged breathing was the only sound in the cavern.

"Are you ready to give yourself to me, Champion?" Blade whispered, his lips next to the heroes ear. "This is your last chance."

"Never," He-Man hissed back. He was breathing hard, but unable to answer more firmly. His body was as weak as if he were running an abnormally high fever; it burned and ached and trembled all at once.

"I figured you'd say that," the master of swords said in mock sadness. "I'll be back, Champion."

She-Ra awoke with a start; her eyes blurry and the pain in her head making her feel as if someone was hitting it with a sword. "Oh, not again." she moaned softly. Instinctively she tried to put her hand to her head to ease the pain, but realized with a sense of panic her hands seemed to be stuck above her. "What?" she whispered, looking up at the fuzzy black outline of chains binding her hands together over her head. She tugged, but the chain was imbedded into the rock wall. She wasn't going anywhere for a while. "This is just wonderful."

"Seems to me, you and He-Man have found yourselves between a rock and a hard place." A voice said from the forest walls.

Instantly she recognized it as a voice she had once hoped she'd never hear again."Blade, show yourself!" She-Ra cried struggling with the bonds. "What do you want? You know you can't get Adora, so don't even try with me. You may have betrayed the royal family, but I haven't. Neither has my brother."

"Oh, speaking about your brother, "Blade paused. "he's stubborn, but he'll crack eventually. He has before."

She-Ra could feel a shadow of her brother's pain, hurting her worse than what she experienced herself. "What did you do to him? I thought you wanted to make up for what you did when you worked for Hordak, not make it ten times worse. I don't think even I could help you get out of it. Not after that last stunt you pulled. You're going to have to earn our trust back, especially mine, and I don't trust easy."

"Hordak just gave me a better deal than any member of the royal guard ever could." He answered.

"So what you're telling me is you care nothing for Adora? Didn't you once say you loved her more than live itself? And you made a promise to her; you'd never join the side of evil as long as it ruled the twin planets?"

"That was between her and me!" He spat.

"Yes, but I'm her bodyguard, I have to know everything. Remember the medic who saved your life? That was me, believe it or not." Blade's eyes widen. "Without me you would have died from your injuries. I was kidnapped alongside her. She was only thirteen when you pledged your love to her, seventeen when you told her you'd help her raise Katelyn and eighteen when you almost proposed had it not been for Hordak's spy. It'll break her heart when she finds out what you once had was all a lie. She loved you, and thought you loved her just as much. You did once. I saw it myself. You stayed with Adora day and night when she almost died, not once did you leave her side regardless of what you had to do, or what Hordak would do to you."

"If you really want to know the truth I lied. At least when Hordak was watching. My plan was to use her to get information for Hordak. But that didn't work. It is true I loved her, once. But she'd never take me back now. She doesn't trust easy either. I lost everything I had with her because of Hordak" Blade said over the crackle of thunder. "Better get to shelter or your power will be of no use useless unless you can get free. You're brother isn't that far away He's hurt, not dead."

'_He's breaking the spell.' _She gasped." You know Adora believes in second chances. And while Hordak may have made it difficult for you, I trust Adora's judgement. I can't tell you which way to choose. You're going to have to decide that one for yourself. If you look hard enough, you'll see how evil Hordak really is and how he's using you just as he once used Adora for the same purpose. She broke the spell, now its you're turn to do the same." She-Ra mumbled as he mounted a sky scooter and road off into the distance.

Once she was sure he was gone She-Ra closed her eyes, '_Why am I not surprised? I was a fool to even think about trusting him. For now I have other things to worry about then a broken heart. Maybe I can break these, and get over to my brother. Please let him be alright! We're going to need each other.''_

Every breath hurt, the marks on his back stung and his shoulder was numb. He gritted his teeth, then with a huge effort finally drew his legs under him and shifted his weight to lean heavily against a nearby tree. He panted with the effort and glanced around the empty cavern. He closed his eyes briefly. '_Please let her be alright.' _He-Man thought as loud footsteps sounded behind him. They reminded He-Man of a stampede of stallions, the ones he had his sister had watched as children, but this was no stallion he realized. He found himself on the ground with a large Eternian tiger on top of him, sending the last breath from his lungs.

"Easy Cat. It's good to see you too." He-Man said pulling his feline partner off of him."Where's She-Ra? My Father? Duncan?"

"I thought she was still with you."the cat answered."We got separated. You're father and Duncan are still at the caves last I saw. They sent me." The Cat paused, "It's taken me over an hour to find your scent."

He-Man grimaced. Battle Cat's nose was stronger than any tracking devices that Duncan or the other palace scientists ever invented. "That's as far as I remember too. She got dragged off by some of Evil Seeds silent vines. I was too out of it to do anything about it, until it was too late. When I did, I found myself being dragged into the other direction. If we're out to long we're vulnerable to an attack."He-Man said putting a hand to his stomach only to find blood, on his palm. But that was the least of his problems.

It was then He-Man knew something was wrong and had to _find_ his sister before it was too late."She-Ra!" he shouted, waiting for a reply. He tried again, but got no answer. Suddenly he sensed Adora's pain; He-Man's hand went to his head and he staggered sideways a step grabbing onto a nearby tree to regain his balance. Looking up to find a wall of water, shimmering as it pass over a cliff side he can see forest all around them but no sign of his sister.

'_Where are you sis?' _It was then he found a small piece of She-Ra's cape, which he guessed, had been caught in a bush. "Can you pick up her scent cat?"

Battle Cat sniffed the piece of red fabric, "She was taken this way." He replied.

"Then let's move, she needs help. "He-Man mounted, "Hang on, sis, I'm coming," he muttered, narrowing his eyes in determination. "Go Cat. Follow her trail." He-Man commanded. The tiger ran like he'd never run before.

It took a matter of several seconds before Battle Cat and He-Man found the small grove in which Blade had taken his sister prisoner. He couldn't see what he held in his hand, but it was as if he could feel her pain. It was only then he realized he was using the same electromagnetic device on her, he had used on him. "I suggest you leave my sister alone, unless of course you want to face me again. And lose" said a deep, almost-forgotten voice. "Didn't your mother ever tell you don't hit woman. Especially when that woman is my sister!"

"He-Man!" He stood in a grove's entrance, Battle Cat at his side. She felt a surge of renewed energy at her brother's sudden appearance.

Blade's eyes widen, "How can you still be alive?"

"It's called playing opossum. If you were ever a guard, you would have known that. Maybe. Then again, you were dishonourably discharged weren't you?" He-Man said shaking his head. "Skeletor or Hordak have yet to produce something that can hold me. Chains like these are easy to break. You're slipping. Maybe this would be a good time for you to give up and go home."

"You win for now. But you have yet to see the last of me." Blade said.

"And I thought you gave up that routine and joined the side of good. You'll never going to win." He-Man said but Blade wasn't listening, he jumped on his sky scooter and drove off as if he had lots to think about.

Once he was sure Blade was gone He-Man used the little strength he had to free his sister from the chains that kept her prisoner. Seconds after she was pulled to her feet, they looked into one another eyes, "Are you alright?"

She-Ra was the first of the two of them who could find her voice. "I'm alright, but you're hurt- again. What did he do to you, you're bleeding, severally!"

"I know."he said pulling her into a tight hug, "Nothing he hasn't done before. If I had got here seconds later you could have been hurt sis. That whip packs a punch."He-Man started but the roar of his tiger cut him off. "What's wrong cat?" His eyes moved towards the sky line, the storm was going to start any minute. "Never mind, We have to move, now." He then turned to his sister, "There's no time Sis. I'll be fine." He said cutting her off.

"We have to get to the cave before the storm starts. If we're in it, we're done for. Not only will it drain our powers, BUT the rain feels like little rocks. Father once told me, it was along with other elements that causes havoc. I've felt the effect of these sorts of storms far more then you have anyways. This one might be the worst we've had. Blade knew that. He helped me find you."

"He did the same thing to find you." Thunder rumbled in the sky sending down a warning. They didn't have much time. "I don't know about you, but I don't want to find myself in that same situation."

"Neither do I." He called back.

He-Man rose to his feet and staggered nearly collapsing only to find himself in his sister's arms. "Easy, I've got you, for the moment." But now that the storm was getting more dangerous, he didn't know how long even she could hold him. He-Man shook his head a little to clear it, but the action did not help. His breathing was harsh and his heart was pounding rapidly. He-Man deliberately slowed his breathing, leaning heavily on Battle Cat.

"Get on my back." Battle Cat suggested, "I'll carry you."

It was a matter of eight minutes before Battle Cat slide into the confinements of a cave, he was exhausted. She-Ra asked slid down off the back of the saddle. Her knees nearly gave way, seconds after she touched the ground, and had it not been for the supporting hand from her brother, she would have found herself flat on her face.

"Easy, sis."He said, sliding off the front saddle. He caught her before she landed on the ground, his legs giving way underneath her weight and soon found himself on the ground behind her.

"Are you alright?"She asked, pulling herself to her feet.

"Yeah, I will be." he replied pushing himself to his own feet, only to find his normal source of support was nowhere to be found, therefore he had to rely on his sister until he got balance. "Battle Cat?"

Their eyes scanned the cave until She-Ra spotted him Her knees nearly gave way as she watched Battle Cat struggle to stand strong, His back right leg was burned and his fur was badly singed. His armoured harness was scorched and smouldering.

"Oh god. Not again. He must of got hit while he was trying to look for us, but had to go on regardless of his injury." He looked into his sister's eyes, "Can you help him?" he questioned swallowing heavily "Again."

She swallowed, knowing there was only one answer. He wasn't worried about himself, regardless of the fact he was seriously injuries. It was his feline partner who needed her now, more than he did. "I'll do my very best."

Ignoring his warning not to overdo it she placed a hand on the tiger's wound and sent her healing magic into him. "For the honour of Greyskull let your wounds be healed." She whispered but as they normally did when she did this her hands did not glow. "It's not working," she grit teeth. Failing would not be good. "I don't have the power to tap right now."

He-Man knelt next to her, swallowing hard, pushing the fatigue, pain and exhaustion back to where they belonged. Now was not the time. What he was planning to do would help her, or so he hoped. He didn't have powers like this only his mother and sister did but he did know of a chance one without the same power could help. He looked into her eyes swallowing hard, "Would it help if I tried to help?"

She looked into his eyes. Her mother once told her it was possible to draw power from someone else if needed, but in the condition her brother was right now, she didn't think it was a good idea. She shook her head, knowing exactly what he was about to suggest, her eyes fixed with determination. She could feel her brother's pain and to help her heal his tiger would exhaust him even more, making it more difficult for him to heal from his already serious injuries."Not with you hurt the way you are. It'll take a lot out of you, and while I've never needed any assistance I'll try again. It may take my remaining power, but-"

He-Man looked deep into his sister's eyes placing his hands on her shoulders instantly cutting her off, "Shyara, listen to yourself. If you force yourself to do this with little power, I don't want to think what might happen. I almost lost you once because of this-"He paused for several minutes to try and find a word to describe the ability she had, and to try to control his temper even if he knew she was right, "gift years ago, when you were still learning to control it. I can't, I won't, go through that again. While you're alone, "He started pausing to make sure they were really truly alone, but even so he used the alternative version of what he was going to say "it's one thing, but right now it's not a good idea. I can't lose either of you. If you can think of a better option..."

"Nothing comes to mind." She replied sadly, she then looked into her brother's eyes, "Have you ever done it before? I don't know what's going to happen. I've never needed help before. And I shouldn't need it again!"

He shook his head,"Sis, it's not because of you. It's because of the storm. I don't know the technically scientific terms for it but it's like the planets power is being drained like the force of a magnet and if we over use our powers, we'll be helpless. Yes, you could do it by yourself and you have. I've seen you do it. But now is not the time. If you try to do it again, with so little power, you might end up in a coma, or worse. I'm not going to let that happen! I have never done it myself but I know what this power does to you. I admit I have a dislike for it, but right now we have no choice in the matter. I've watched Mother and the Sorceress combined there powers dozens of times, both of them are sorceress' They combined their powers to save me. From what Duncan told me Mother did a solo healing for at least forty five minutes even an hour. For her, that's a lot. When Father was injured she had to go beyond that in order to save his life. I know because I was there. It's one of the many reasons why I didn't tell you what was going on, in case you tried to help. At the age you were you could have, but it may have done more damage than good. I've never done it, but it's much better than the alternative. I can't lose him, and I can't lose you. If you try to do this by yourself that's exactly what's going to happen. I WON'T let anything happen to you. Not again. We've been in this situation before but a heck of a lot younger. It wasn't Battle Cat who was hurt, it was me. And from what I remember I would of died had it not been for your quick thinking."

She swallowed shaking the memory from her mind.'_Now is not the time to lose myself with old memories.'_ She thought quickly focusing to the here and now. Healing someone took a lot out of her. She had seen Casta use the strength of others to heal."Alright. If you're really sure about this. I've never done this before, but I have heard of cases where people have drawn on the strength of others to be able to heal the wounded. I have always been able to heal with no problems. I've no idea what kind of side affects you might feel. "

He-Man looked into her eyes,"Doesn't matter. It's a risk I'm willing to take if it will protect you. Whatever burden I can take off of you will be worth it. I can't let you do it alone sis, but I'll let you do it IF you let me help."

"You're not going to end this until you get your way, are you?" She questioned."What am I saying, you never do?" Her brother didn't reply, his eyes did the answering for her. "Alright. Place a hand on my shoulder," she directed as she knelt down to a semi comfortable position. "What I need is more strength than I have to heal him." Her brother did so without question. She-Ra felt a surge of magical strength run through her; the fatigue she had been feeling since the battle back on Etheria faded. She was nowhere near back to full strength, but she had more power at her fingertips now than she had in hours.

As she placed her hands on Battle Cat's laying form hands glowed brighter than they had the first time she had placed them on Battle Cat's fallen form."For the Honour of Greyskull let your wounds be healed." She said again, pouring her healing magic into not only her brother but into Battle Cat as well. She could feel the burns begin to cool, and fade away, healing from the inside out.

"It's working! She-Ra, you're doing it!" Her brother exclaimed.

She didn't hear him, she was completely absorbed in her task but one thing she knew was had it not been for her brother, she would not have the power to heal his beloved tiger. The glow from She-Ra's hands started to fade, and the Princess of Power slumped forward slightly, even with their combined power it still weakened her. She prayed her brother wouldn't feel the same effects.

He-Man's hand was still on her shoulder, and he gently pulled her back upright. "Are you alright?"

"For the moment. Are you?"

He nodded, looking down at his abdomen; the wound was no longer there. "I'm fine. Both injuries are gone without a scar. How did you do that?" He questioned.

She-Ra's eyes were drawn to her own injuries which were no longer there as if it had never happened. "I have no idea, it just happened. Sometimes the power directs itself. My injuries are gone too." She paused running a gentle finger up the leg of the once injured tiger, he would be alright. "It was like the magic knew what it was doing, and divided the power." But as she stood up she nearly lost her balance had it not been for her brother standing right behind her.

"Is this how you feel every time you do that?" He questioned.

She shook her head, "No, not even close especially if the injuries are serious; usually its ten times worse. Somehow I was able to heal my own injuries as well, yours too by the looks of things. I couldn't have done it without you. I'm sorry."

Her brother looked deep into her eyes knowing what she was apologizing about wasn't about the fatigue he was about to feel. It was for snapping at him to begin with. But he ignored it. Focusing on the here and now. "Don't be. It was the only way to help him. It was a risk I was willing to take, not only for you, but for Battle Cat as well." Battle Cat's ears perked up when he realized what she had done for him again, and for the fourth time since her arrival he pounced like a playful kitten, cutting off her response his weight knocking the wind from her as she was not expecting it.

She-Ra closed her eyes and took a deep breath as if to sooth the away the ache she experience from the healing she had just gone through"Easy buddy. I'm alright."She said pulling him into a tight hug relieved he was going to be alright. She could sense the tiger's worry. As she pushed the mighty cat off of her she watched the cave entrance.

"Face it sis, he's not going to let you out of his sight now."He-Man joked His expression then turned serious, "Are you sure you're alright?" He paused for several minutes. When he found what he was looking for, the bottle containing the dragon berry juice their mother had given them he handed it to her. While some of it had spilled out when the bottle was knocked out of his hand, but there was enough for her,"Try this. I'm not sure what it would do for fatigue, but it might help even a little."

She-Ra accepted the bottle, " You might need it."

"Right now, I'm pretty sure you need it more than I do sis. I'll be fine." Rather than fighting with her brother She-Ra took a drink, instantly her fatigue was relieved, she was not feeling back to her normal self yet but better.

"The last time a storm brewed like this, you weren't old enough to feel the effects." Her brother explained accepting the rest of the bottle. "When I realized there was a storm such as this one on Etheria, my concern for you over ruled the orders and I got there as soon as I could. That's one nightmare I don't want to relive if I can help it."

"That makes two of us."

She put a gentle hand on his shoulder, he didn't need to say it."Everyone has their own demons. I'm not fond of storms myself you know. Especially since I live outside most of the time. But it seems your fighting with more than one. Talk to me. Please. I will keep whatever you tell me between us. I always have. Always will."

"I know. And while I appreciate the thought, it's about Adam, and until the side effects from the 'adrenaline withdrawal' as Duncan calls it, balances out, we won't be seeing him. It's not safe to relinquish the power until it's at a normal level. Besides we have other things to worry about right now. Duncan and Father are still out there."

She-Ra looked deep within her brother's chocolate brown eyes,"I know?" She then looked into his eyes, knowing he was hiding something "What?"

He sighed, "Adam seem to think his mother knows more than she's letting on. His father however is getting worse by the day and no matter how hard he tries to have a decent conversation it becomes a shouting match. That's the reason he's spending more time with me, then at home with his parents. "

"Yeah, that is a very heavy burden to carry. I've suspected the same thing for a while."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

Night had fallen some hours ago and stillness had settled inside the palace. Queen Marlena found herself alone, sitting before a dying fire, the only source of light in the room. King Randor Marlena's husband was fast asleep beside her while she worried about the wellbeing of the kingdom, a job meant for a king. Had it not been raining, their son wouldn't be missing and if his son weren't missing, she'd be in bed sleeping instead of sitting up worrying about the wellbeing of his children and her long-time family friends. But it also occurred to her something had changed in her husband. Just this morning she had witnessed Randor dismiss Grayskull his oldest and dearest friend next to Duncan as if he was a common peasant, something he was not. Not only was King Grayskull a long-time family friend but he was also a former king.

Marlena stood in her bedchamber staring at her reflection in the mirror. So many thoughts were plaguing her: She thought about Adam's constant disappearing and behaviour. She thought about Randor's disapproval of Adam during those times. Eventually her thoughts drifted to their trip to Grayskull. She wondered what she would find out when they returned. As sad as it was to say, Marlena didn't believe Adam when he said he didn't remember anything that had happened yesterday. She knew her son well enough to know when he wasn't being honest. She had years of practice of catching the subtle signs: He would stutter and look around elsewhere while trying to find a suitable and rational explanation.

"He's been doing that a lot over the last few years, far more than I'm accustomed to in recent weeks," she thought to herself.

That's what was really bothering her. She always knew since Adam matured that he had a secretive side that he liked to keep hidden. What young man didn't have secrets from their parents? She had accepted that fact a long time ago. That's why she never really questioned Adam on his whereabouts when he left and reappeared. She thought it was only natural, a part of his growing up and becoming independent. The last month or so began to make her think otherwise. She began noticing that his disappearances were becoming more frequent than she liked and his tiredness was becoming much of a concern.

She remembered the one time she questioned him on his tardiness to dinner. He had been missing all day and no one in the palace had seen him. When he finally showed up, offering his apologies to them and especially Orko for interrupting his latest magic routine, she actually asked him where he had been. The response she got was the one she expected, but it nonetheless saddened her. He stuttered and talked such nonsense that wasn't even remotely coherent and then silenced as if he offered up some truly vital information and didn't have anything else left to say on the matter. She had glanced at Randor, who clearly thought their son had been off having "fun" again and told Orko to continue with his show.

She didn't know what was worse. Was it Adam's constant running off, or was it Randor's blindness to the situation concerning their son? Oh, he was well aware of it now because she pointed it out to him, and now it was consuming his every thought. But did that really make up for his lack of understanding and patience with their son? As much as she hated the notion, she couldn't help but wonder if Randor was why their son had become so withdrawn. Did he run off and hide things from them because he was worried what his father would think? She knew it was possible. Every time Randor chastised Adam for his tardiness, clumsiness, or whatever else happened to be the case, she would notice Adam's ever constant response of lowering his head and closing his eyes almost as if he was submitting and accepting his father's words as gospel towards his character

' _While he was not Royal by blood the Eternian people picked him as the next ruler of the city of Greyskull Could that be what;'s bothering Randor?'Marlena mused.'The only way things are going to get back to normal is if I knock some sense in to Randor. Duncan tried that, as did Grayskull but that didn't work. If they can't do it, maybe his wife can.' _Marlena mustered

Marlena never took her eyes away from the window. Her children had enough survival skills to survive though the night. She pondered on what it would have been like if Adora, her baby the younger twin by five minutes had never been kidnapped. The nine precious years was not enough. On the tenth year it seemed to her something was missing, especially to Adam, and she wasn't surprised. His twin was part of him, as he was to her. Teela had always been like a daughter to her but she could never replace Adora, nobody could. Then nearly three years ago Adora was brought back, rescued from the horrible monster Hordak back where she belonged, but only for awhile. As someone who had seen how powerful Hordak was Marlena knew that her daughters reasons for leaving were censer, she had to make up for the evil doing she was forced to do, yet as a mother she couldn't help but worry. If she didn't confront Randor about this she would not be able to sleep. She never could when she had thoughts like this plaguing her.

"Randor wake up!" Marlena said shaking him.

Shaking the sleep out of his head, Randor sat up, "Marlena, what on Eternia are you doing? Its after eleven. You for one should know I've a long day in the morning. I have to get some sleep. I'm exhausted."

"I know what time it is Randor. Your kingdom is in a state of panic because the king refuses to update them on the situation. There's a dangerous storm out there Randor, and our friends are stuck in it. If you don't get your butt in gear I'm going to have to take drastic action and you're not going to like it."

"Adam is safe at camp Marlena. Adora is on Etheria. She hasn't spoken to me for over a year and a half." Randor said harshly.

"With good reason. After the way you treated her I'm surprised Adam speaks to you. You didn't even stop yelling to hear her out. You didn't act like an understanding father, you acted like a spoiled child. Last I heard Adam was on his way home when the storm broke out. The caravan had to take shelter. She's his twin and baby sister. From what He-Man's told me you did the same thing to his sister, but ten times worse. He-Man doesn't serve you, he protects this planet, not because he has to, because there isn't anyone else who can. His primary responsibility is Greyskull, not our kingdom. He's not a guard anymore! Grayskull's your best friend." Marlena mumbled. "I'm sure they're fine. If there's plasma storm its procedure to stay inside till it blows over, or find cover."

"You worry too much Marlena." Randor said with a smirk as he fell backwards on the bed. "Duncan and Grayskull can take care of themselves. They're both grown."

"Yes, but if you were thinking clearing, you'd remember who they were. Your friends. Best friends. Like brothers. I'm a mother, I'm entitled to worry. Duncan and Grayskull are my friends too Randor. You're lucky I'm not out there looking for them." She mumbled.

"I don't recall asking for your opinion, Marlena." King Randor snapped.

Queen Marlena stood up and faced her husband,"I wasn't aware the all mighty King Randor required my- his queen's permission to speak. I understand why Adora won't talk to you. She's not a child anymore Randor. She hasn't been for a very long time. It was her decision to go to Etheria, not yours, not mine, not her brother's. I'm not surprised Adam hasn't decided to go with her."

"I simply feel that now that She-Ra has chosen to be on Etheria, she doesn't need the extra help." The king explained. "Adora belongs at home with us!"

Marlena sighed, "She-Ra has inherited certain gifts, but that doesn't mean she doesn't need the help. She also happens to have a responsibility to protect Adora until she's twenty one. That's Eternian Law remember? I don't really think it would be a good idea to discontinue the arrangement we have with them especially with Hordak and Skeletor ruling the twin planets. With the way things are going, I'd feel better if she had the job until Hordak was gone. I may not be an expert on these types of storms Randor, but they make magical powers go haywire. You really should rethink this Randor. You haven't be acting like yourself for some time. And I don't like it not one bit. Is my home back with my parents on Earth, my husband?" asked Queen Marlena, coming to her daughter's defence.

"That... that is different, Marlena!" cried King Randor.

"How so?" asked Queen Marlena, in all honesty, "Man-At-Arms has the technology, and the Sorceress the magic, necessary to send me back to Earth at the snap of a finger. I could return to the United States of America, my planet, and leave Eternos for good... but I won't. I'm your wife. I'm the Queen of Eternos. I have a duty and obligation to both you, and my new planet. Adora has to do what she can to right the wrongs she did while she was under the Horde's rule and the only way she can do that is join their fight. She isn't a little girl any more Randor. She has protection. I am quite confident nothing will happen. I have no idea why you don't trust her after all this time. You were so proud of her once, what's changed?"

King Randor contemplated his wife's words very thoughtfully, and dowelled on them. "Marlena." He almost whispered her voice. She said nothing so he walked to her and stood beside her. "Marlena, Please look at me."She did, but her stare was hard and cold. He stood straight and tall beside her and folded his hands together behind his back. "She belongs at home, where it's safe. I'm sorry you disagree with my methods of dealing with our son. Adam is twenty years old and yet he still acts like a boy. He needs to grow up and start facing responsibilities."

"Adam is trying to take responsibility, but he's also a prince. If there is danger, he hides in a secured area, just as you do when trouble arises. The only person who knows where he is is the head of security Duncan. As for Adora, she has the same security measures in place I'm sure. She-Ra is quite capable of taking care of her Randor, just as her brother is. But of course you've never liked her have you? It's because she's female, and you've hated the fact Dekker gave her the promotion as Lieutenant mere months after she graduated from the academy."

Marlena paused trying with all her might to regain her composure. "Yelling at Adam and telling him he is a disgrace is not the way to inform him he should face responsibilities. He saved his sister's life. Don't you remember that? That was the last time I heard you say, 'Adam I'm so proud of you.' And what about the way you treat He-Man? Grayskull said he was seriously hurt and he was unable to make it back for the remainder of the conferences Yet you had no empathy. He's the protector of our planet Randor. Not some servant. You treated your long time best friends like a piece of garbage. You were thrilled when he was found safe and sound, yet almost a year later you're treating him like you've never met. You grow up together. Duncan once told me you were like brothers. Brothers don't act like this. I know because I've one back on Earth, we are- were extremely close. Something changed and its not a change for the better. I know you were shocked when you found out he was alive, but this is not the way you express shock." She looked longingly at the shower. A nice long hot shower was calling her name. The urge was too strong and she padded in her socked feet into the bathroom. It took her a moment to remove the clip and pins from her hair, and stepped into the shower. It gave her time to think and reflect what was happening.

By the time she emerged from the shower her husband sat on the bed, reading paper work; but she wouldn't be able to fall asleep with the weight of what she knew weighing heavily. "If I ever..."Randor started.

"You won't have to." Marlena said cutting him off mid-sentence. She knew him too well, "I'm leaving." She paused and looked into her husband's eyes, "As of this second I'm invoking my powers as Queen and revoking yours as King. Hopefully you'll see things clearer in the morning." Marlena said retrieving her extra pillow and blanket." I don't know what's gotten into you Randor, but you're not the same person I married nearly twenty two years ago." The King's jaw dropped Marlena had never said anything like that to him before.

"There that should do it."He-Man said as he activated the portable force field generator Duncan had invented."That should keep out any enemy forces."

"And I finally got a fire going." She-Ra nodded.

"And I always thought you were a professional fire builder sis."He-Man joked.

"Very funny. That's only one of my jobs. I've never been so thankful for guard training in my life."

He-Man looked into his sister's eyes. "Neither have I. I'm sorry this hasn't been a very restful vacation."

She sighed, "It's not your fault. It's not like your 'quiet little visits', are restful either, usually their working vacations. I apologize if I'm not the best of company. When he held me captive Blade confessed the feelings for Adora were false and she meant nothing to him. He was only using her to get information to relay back to Hordak."

"Ouch. I wouldn't want to be Adam when he finds out. Nobody messes with his little sister, not even their father." He swallowed as he looked into the storm. "It's a good thing we got here when we did, it's really coming down. I just hope Father and Duncan are alright. Leaving them, didn't sit well with me."

"I know, it wasn't as if we left on purpose. We were forced remember? By silent vines as you call them."

"Those vines snick up on us are controlled by a demon known as Evil Seed. He's an evil villain who Skeletor found a few years ago who has to power to control vines for evil. It also has the power to snap the strength of anyone who it over powers. He's done it before, and it wasn't fun then and it's not fun now. "

She headed to the one place she felt safe, the old nursery now used as a playroom for her grandchildren, Nicholas and Katelyn. She sat down on the window seat watching, and waiting. Praying that if they were out there they were alright for the moment and would be home soon, safe and sound. And these doubts she had about Randor's behaviour was all her imagination.

_"Why is this happening?_" She thought aloud_. "What happened to make Randor so cold and cruel? Why didn't he even stop to try to understand Adora's reasoning, but was so harsh towards her to make her fear her own father? No child should have to fear a parent, especially since it was not long ago that we got her back. She's an adult; she has the right to make her own choices, even if we don't always agree with them."_

"I'm not so sure myself. Something has been very wrong with him for a very long time. I'm determined to make things right." A voice said from the door. It was Veena her best friend, godmother to her twin children.

Marlena smiled greeting Veena at the door, hugging her like a long lost friend, before leading her to the small seating area next to the fire, "You were watching me weren't you? Never in the twenty two years we've been married have I been so cruel and uncaring." She said knowing she was a Sorceress with that sort of magical powers.

"Only out of concern my friend. It seems there has been trouble brewing between you and Randor since Adora left to Etheria. You had good reason to say what you did. You didn't mean it. Talk to him in the morning, things always seems less complicated after a good night's sleep. If I know my husband as well as I do, he's going to take the throne from him just to make things right again. I know you've done just that but Randor might fight you, he won't with Grayskull. He may be stubborn sometimes but I can't remember when he's been as stubborn as Randor. But it's said actions are louder than words. Grayskull just wants to make your job as easy and painless as possible. He'd never take the job from you."

Marlena smiled, "I know that. He may not have been of Royal blood, but he did a very good job. I don't know if you noticed this too, but it seemed Randor changed. While he seemed to be over joyed with the idea, something seemed to be out of sync, and having Adora leave might have made it that much worse. I may not have been there, but I was in the next room waiting for Adora. She had come to both Adam and I the night before as if she knew be the supportive link she needed. They've known each other since they were boys, and their bond was like brothers. But this isn't the way brothers behave."

Veena smiled, "I remember. It tore him apart to see his beloved Goddaughter so upset. It took Adora several hours to fall asleep, and even if she knew she didn't have to face her father, it made leaving all that more difficult. It is the reasons He-Man decided to go with her, just to provide the extra set of hands in case she needed them. To be perfectly honest Marlena, both my children and husband were given a tongue lashing by your husband recently too. This morning in fact Grayskull was treated as if he was a guard just out of training."

Marlena closed her eyes, pushing the frustration deep within her soul, she couldn't lose control now. She had her kingdom to think about. "I know. What could cause Randor to do such a thing to his best friend?"

"I'm not really sure. However from what I have been observing King Randor doesn't think my son is doing an adequate job of Eternian protector. He's been doing it for eight years. And he almost was killed."

"I know. When your husband told him he had to go, Randor wouldn't let him. He had no choice but to walk out, as did I. I've never been so embarrassed in my life."

"I believe Randor afraid he'll lose his kingdom and because he didn't want to face Grayskull himself, he took it out on not only Adora but Adam, and my children as well. With Grayskull he avoided the subject."

"Well, I won't know for sure until I actually face him again. I don't think I'm ready to do that yet. Now I know how Adora must have felt, not being able to face him like she wanted to. I understood her reasons but it's not only because I'm a mother. I feel she needs to prove to herself that what she did under the hordes rule can be undone, and to do that she has to make this sacrifice."

Veena smiled, "I know for my own daughter she was wrestling with the idea for some time. And while he doesn't want to admit it, at least to his own mother, He-Man didn't want to lose his 'little sister' all over again, but he also knew she was the only one who could help those people. I've been to Etheria several times, but until the Horde wars I never dealt with Hordak and his apprentice Skeletor. I never dreamed that my children would have to take over my fight when they were old enough."

"I remember the Horde Wars, and while I was new to Eternia at the time it made me feel better knowing we had the protection of Greyskull on our side. What your daughter did is not considered a traitor in my books Veena. It's a sacrifice. I'm very proud of her for doing so. She's not my daughter, but she's always been part of our family, just as you, your son and Grayskull have. I feel safer knowing that my children have the much needed protection."

"So am I. The feeling is mutual." Veena paused went to the door pulled it shut and locked it, using her magic to seal the room from outsiders, it was only then she could talk freely. She looked deep into Marlena's eyes, "Marlena, are you saying what I think you're saying? It's vital to the kingdom's security that those things remain a secret. Please trust me. I have to know."

Marlena sighed, and adjusted her position on so she was face to face with her best friend, "Yes, I do. I have had a suspicion since He-Man brought them home. I've trusted you as long as I've known you Veena. But if it's that important, I'll tell you. I've known for some time my twins have taken the second half of Greyskull's power. When my daughter came to me, there was a sense of calm, normally she wouldn't dream of leaving like that, unless she felt it was her duty. Adam told me that she had to make up for what she had done under Hordak's control, but there was more than that. But I'm not sure why I haven't said anything until now. It's also the reason Adora went to Etheria wasn't it?"

Veena nodded, "I'm sure it has something to do with it, but only Adora can answer that one. The other reason is my daughter is her bodyguard until she turns twenty one. She wasn't going to leave her so she went with her. She knows my son couldn't do so for obvious reasons. The rebellion needs all the help it can get. I know I've been there. It's a lot more different on the inside then if you were a prisoner here." Veena swallowed, "But Marlena, you do know how dangerous this knowledge is right? I've known for years that your twins would one day take the other half of the power, but that's only because I have certain privileges as one of Greyskull's guardians. Skeletor and Hordak will stop at nothing to-"

Marlena placed a hand on Veena's shoulder, "Get me to talk. I won't. I believe you did teach me a thing or two about blocking those sort of spells in case it ever happened. I've done it in the past."

Veena smiled, now she could tell Adam his mother knew it would take at least some weight off of him. "I knew there would be a time when our children would have to take the additional power but I always thought I would know when that happened, but I didn't. I don't think they really planned on going on a rescue mission anyways."

Marlena smiled, "From what I remember their main objective was to go to an alliance meeting. At that time Shyara- She-Ra wasn't feeling well, but she went anyways. I believe if I remember correctly she was helping out Teela as a lieutenant even though her role was once as captain and had over done it."

"And I was beginning to think she hadn't inherited Grayskull's stubbornness. It appears she has. I'm surprised you remember her birth name, not very many people know it, or remember it, since she rarely ever uses it outside of family situations." Veena commented. Marlena nodded, "Mother's intuition, it has to be. Then again it was one of your children who changed it wasn't it?"

"A mother should know her children. Her name was changed because it was difficult to pronounce to a three year old. "Marlena confessed. "On Earth there are fictional heroes, who keep the same sort of secret because if too many people know there is a risk their families could be hurt. Superman whose real name is Clark Kent, at least in the comic books and TV shows, keeps his under the clumsy role of a news reporter. Superman, as far as I remember, inherited his powers from his real father on the planet Krypton. And if I remember correctly, both your children inherited their powers- or some of them from Grayskull. Another character named Wonder Woman, has the same physical strength as Superman. Though they are not brother and sister, they have the same sort of burden your children do, but they protect the planet Earth, not Eternia or Etheria. I must confess shortly after Adam turned sixteen it seemed like he had changed overnight. Randor sees him as lazy, but I somehow knew there was something more. After I took the time to really think about it, I realized he had taken the extra power. It might have also been the link in finding Adora, his sister, and you, and Grayskull."

"Yes," Veena agreed. "It does. Adam hated hiding it from you but he knew why it had to be kept a secret. We told him not to lie, we said fabricate the truth. I don't know how he did it, but he's done it well. I promise you it was not to hurt you, it was to protect you." She knew Marlena was partly right, but she had yet to figure out a way to explain the residual effects of even the two of them taking on so much power. "A mother may have to know her children, but what would you do if you knew there was something bothering them but they wouldn't come to you?"

Marlena looked into Veena's eyes, "You're referring to your son's injuries?"

"Yes. Well there's more to it than just that. He's been preoccupied as of late. My feeling is someone has told him that what he's doing to protect our world isn't enough. King Randor also put a ban in place stating that the protector of Eternia needs to gain the kings permission before he goes off world to help his sister, or before her the' Traitor to the crown' comes to help him."

Marlena nearly fell off the couch scrunching her hand in a fist. "My husband! That has to be the same thing Adam's going through too. They didn't even see the other for their birthday, unless He-Man was able to find a way to bring Adam with him."

"There are ways. I wouldn't be surprised. And I assure you they saw each other on their birthday. He-Man told me about Randor talking about Adora and She-Ra when they're not there to defend themselves. And you know what happens when my son speaks up. Randor says 'Mind your own business, this doesn't concern you.' It takes all he has not to lash out. He loves his sister more than anyone in the world. He's always hated when someone hurts her, but words they speak louder than actions sometimes. King Randor's no different. I've been watching for weeks now, but nobody knows."

Before Veena was able to reply a heavy blast of wind tore through the room breaking through the shutters which protected the windows, it took the combined strength of both Marlena and Veena to secure the windows once again.

"Whew that was a close one. The storm is getting worse." Marlena swallowed heavily.

Veena stared out the window, "That's what I was afraid of. They won't be able to get back here till the storm clears. You don't need me to trouble you with demons from the past. You have a kingdom to protect. We have a crisis on our hands, and if you don't do something, there's going to be a panic. I've been assessing the situation from Greyskull and as a mother I can sense your worry. I just wanted to reassure you everyone's safe for the moment. Adora sends her love, but she can't be here right now since she has other things to worry about. Grayskull and Duncan had no choice but to take shelter twenty clicks from here to wait out the storm. My son and daughter have done the same. They can't move in this weather. It's too dangerous, especially since the storm is connected to the interior of the planet, which means their powers can be weakened the longer they stay in it."

Marlena nodded in understanding." He-Man went through the procedures with the masters a few weeks ago. I was in attendance since Randor felt he had other things to be do. That doesn't make me feel any better Veena."

She nodded in understanding "I understand how you feel. These storms are rare, so we've never had to have these emergency plans before. But it makes me feel better that we do now. He-Man went over them with me the last time he had a chance to come home for dinner. I, of course had to remind him his powers may weakened if the storm is magically charged, however he hadn't thought that far ahead. And I really doubt he had even stop to think about what he'd do if he got trapped in a storm. His sister barely got him inside. Don't ever tell him I told you, he will never let me live it down."

Marlena smiled, "I won't, I promise. Mother's code of honour." Veena laughed, "That the same time he went over them with me. King Randor feels they're useless and have been pretty much hiding in his study all day. I'm sorry I forgot about your visit."

"This wasn't a planned visit. I've been watching you since the last time He-Man checked in with me. I figured you'd want an update being you're worried sick right about now. If Randor asks, tell him it was. We did talk about it the last time I was here, but neither of us has had time to actually follow through. "

Marlena swallowed hard, forcing her emotions to the back of her mind," Randor thinks He-Man's invincible and nothing can hurt him, but that's not true. Especially in such storm as this one."

"He's wrong. These sorts of storms are not the sort of thing to be taken as a joke They are very dangerous, especially for someone who has special gifts based on magic." Veena paused returning to the subject at hand. "I remember the first storm like this that brewed when I was first married. I didn't think anything of it, but lets just say I'm not about to make the same mistake again. And what King Randor is doing forcing my husband to travel in such conditions, well I'm certainly glad he's safe in a strong cave which will protect him until the storm lightens."

"Well it's said that comic book heroes, have weakness, and while I have never seen any of the members of your family as weak, it's one of the burdens you have to face; your powers are magically based. Hopefully I can convince Randor to step up as King so Grayskull won't have to. He may not be in any condition to do so once he gets here."

"He certainly wasn't in any shape to do anything the last time a storm brewed. And I don't want to even mention what they had to go through on Etheria. My husband is a deep sleeper, but when He-man has to wake him up, he does. I'm sort of glad he did in this case. Adora would have been done for if he hadn't got the help, and supplies he did." Veena said, recalling that nightmare shortly after they were first married.

"Now that we have new safety procedures maybe it won't be as bad as the last time."

Marlena turned to the window, and while all she could see was rain and darkest part of her wished she could be with her son and daughter. As queen it was her job to be there for her people, even though they were tucked in for the night in the hundreds of guest rooms she had prepared for them." Adam had pneumonia because of that didn't he?"

Veena nodded, "The last time my son was sick he was ten years old. Dragon pox."

"So that's how they knew what to do. Randor once told me it affects children under the age of ten."

"That's right. Even if they're five years apart my son knew that, and somehow without the medication, he got over it. Just don't ever tell him I told you that story." Veena stared out the window one last time, "My husband may be extremely suborn at times but if there's one thing I know he can handle something as dangerous as this particular type of storm. He's resourceful. But for now, I can help, if you. It will keep my mind focused for awhile. It's too dangerous for me to get to Greyskull right now. Besides you seem to need an extra pair of hands, especially since King Randor isn't acting like a King right now."

"That will make my job a lot easier that's for sure. To be honest Veena, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do right now. There's never been a storm this bad at least while I've been here."

"Maybe we should try to contact the palace. I'm sure Marlena is worried sick by now."

She-Ra nodded."If we can get a connection though the storm."

"Well, I have always wanted to try Duncan new long range communicator. I never thought I'd have to do it in a storm." He-Man reached for his belt and pulled a small hand held device,"This is He-Man does anyone copy?" He asked.

In reply he got static. But several minutes later Teela's voice came over the communication channels. "He-Man thank the ancients you're okay. We've been trying to reach you for hours."

"I know Teela, it must have been due to the storm. We've been forced to take shelter until the storm dies down a bit. Is everything alright in Eternos?"

"Everything's fine. Mek and the masters are just waiting out the storm just as you are. Last I saw they were playing cards. And some of them were playing chess, and preys squares. Skeletor has yet to show his face. Is my father alright?"

"Sounds fun, wish we were there. My sister rocks at Percy squares, or she did when she was a child. Unless someone put cards in one of our bags, we have nothing to do except talk. Not that it's a bad thing, we have a lot of catching up to do. I haven't seen her for some time. As for your father last I heard from him he seemed fine Teela. He's just annoyed with himself because he didn't see this storm coming." Came the reply, "We were separated due to the storm but I've been in constant contact. They should meet us here as soon as the storm lightens before cycling to the next stage of the storm. Depending on the severity of the storms there could be up to ten cycles, if not more. Which means we may not be there till sometime tomorrow morning."

Teela swallowed. "As long as you're alright, that's the important thing. The king has locked himself in his office again, from what I understand he and Marlena got into some sort of argument about how he was handling the situation. She's really worried. I'm grateful she's handling the situation, because I'm- scared."

He-Man knew Teela had a slight fear of storms but having her confess it over the communication channels was a first. He then reminding himself that these storms were rare, and that even though they had procedure, they had yet to be put in to play. "Everything is going to be alright Captain. I'm sure Adam wants to be with you and Nick too, but he's not. You know the procedures better than even me. You have to be strong for your son, if he sees you cry or worry, that will make him scared too. It's just a storm, nothing that we haven't dealt with before. Adam wishes he was there with you, but like us he's stuck in the storm. Believe me he'd rather be at the palace then where he is right now."

"I'd feel better if he was safe within the palace walls, but since he's not I would appreciate it if you gave him a message." Forcing himself not to start laughing He-Man at what his sister said in the background, He-Man replied. "Sure. I think I can handle that. Or better yet give it to She-Ra, with the way I've been acting today, I might forget."

"From what I understand, "being out of it" for at a few days is normal after being hit with such a weapon. Your father left me his old journals to look over. No wonder my father befriended him so easily. He's an amazing person. I didn't see that until recently."

"I hate to say this Teela, but you don't trust others easily either. Being you didn't know him that well in the first place makes it understandable. You were after all very young when he disappeared. I would go get Prince Adam for you but I can't right now. I have to check something. "

Teela laughed as the communicator was passed She-Ra which she accepted, "Is He-Man okay?" Teela asked. She hadn't seen him since she had left the night before.

"He seems fine Teela. He just thinks Adam is safer where he is for the moment." She-Ra said. While lying to her best friend was not something she'd do on a regular basis, she figured it was better than the truth which would cause more stress then Teela needed for the moment.

"Good, do me a favour and tell him what I said. I have to let the queen know he's alright."

"Oh I think he heard you. I just hope you secured this channel."

Teela laughed, "Yes, I did. I'm using Father's lab which has the most secured channels I know of. Just be careful huh? From what I understand the last time you were in a storm like this you nearly died. It was a good thing your brother got there when he did. Anyways I have to update the Queen again, she's taking over until King Randor is back to his old self. What I do know is she needs to know her daughter is alright."

"She is Teela. And while she wishes she was with her mother, she has to make do of the situation." Teela agreed and they signed off.

Marlena reached over and placed a gentle hand on Veena's shoulder, "I know. This is the most dangerous type of storm we have here on Eternia and..."Marlena's words were cut off as the door to the playroom opened.

"Your majesty, I'm sorry to intrude but we need you in the communication room. "Teela said in a rushed, panicked voice.

Marlena looked up, standing in one fluid motion." Teela breathe. You're talking to fast, I can't understand you. What's wrong?"

Teela took a slow calming breath before continuing. "We just got a communication from He-Man." She said. "He told me to tell you that he's alright and is about twenty clicks from the palace. He and She-Ra are waiting out the storm, but my father and King Grayskull aren't with them. They got separated. From what he was able to tell me they have been in constant contact. He's contacted Prince Adam in case his mother wanted to check on him. I didn't get to talk to him, but I've been assured he's fine."

"They can take care of themselves Teela. My husband is very resourceful when he wants to be. He's had to be since he protected his kingdom without my help for many years." Veena said sensing her worry and concern for her friend. "What are we waiting for?" She questioned, her tone filled of relief, knowing Marlena was filled with motherly concern. "Lead the way Captain."

Teela smiled, as she took the lead. But as the three ladies headed to the communication room Marlena's name was called from behind her. Marlena turned, facing her husband, not sure if she was ready yet. It was only the presences of Teela and Veena that kept her from snapping yet again. "Randor." She said as she stood up, not making eye contact.

"Marlena, you're acting ridicules."He paused." When did SHE get here?"

Marlena's eyes widened "Veena is visiting me, I told you this morning she was coming. I haven't seen her in a very long time and felt she could use the company, especially now. Her son and husband are missing Randor. You once welcomed her with open arms whenever she wanted. But you've changed. And its not for the better. As of right now I have invoked my power as Queen of Eternos and will use that power until things get back to normal. Normally you're the one telling me not to be afraid, yet you're telling me not to worry. This is not like you. You know I worry when someone I know is in this sort of storm yet you have no concern for your lifelong friends, or anyone in your kingdom? That's not like you. I don't like this. Not one bit. Now if you excuse me I have some kingdom business to deal with, since you're to pig headed to care."

Once in the communications room Veena and Marlena followed Teela inside at which time she dismissed the guard knowing that this was a private matter. Teela then looked into Marlena's eyes, "Are you alright your majesty?"

Marlena wiped her eyes, "I will be as soon as I know my entire family is home safe. While we're alone in here Teela, I may as well let you know that I know the truth about Adam. I have never been so proud of anyone in my entire life. But this is not the time for that; we're going to have a panic on our hands if I don't do something. With the way Randor's been acting today I have to take charge, because there isn't anyone else who can."

Teela nodded. "Don't tell me that your majesty tell him, but you'd better leave that for when you see him in person. I've known that for a long time. It's not that he didn't want to tell you, it's that he couldn't tell you." Teela explained.

Marlena understood better than anyone. "It's the same reasons the super heroes on Earth picked only their trustworthy friends."

"Adam once told me about that. We shouldn't say anything now though. Who knows who may be monitoring the open channels?" Teela said as she patched the queen through to her son and daughter who were waiting for her communication.

But because of the storm the connection was choppy so she wasn't able to speak to either her son or daughter for very long, but long enough to reassure her that they were alright for the moment. "You worry about the kingdom I'll worry about the masters. With neither He-Man She-Ra nor my father here Mek's in-charge and the guards know what to do."

"You also have a son to worry about Teela." Marlena reminded her. "If you panic, he'll sense that. I made that mistake years ago when Hordak returned. Instead of pretending everything was alright I should have told you what was going on. In all honestly Adora and Adam knew what was wrong long before I told them. Nicholas is just as smart as you were at his age. He'll know if something wrong, even if you don't tell him. He reminds me of his father at that age."

Veena nodded in agreement and smiled as eight year old Nicholas entered the playroom clinging to his mother for dear life. "Momma, did you get in touch with Daddy yet? I'd feel better when he's here."He asked hugging his adoptive grandmother tightly.

Teela nodded. "He's fine Nick. He's just waiting out the storm. There's nothing else he can do right at the moment."

Nicholas sighed pulling his knees close to his body. "Are they going to be alright till the morning Momma? I'm worried about him. I told Grandpa Randor, but he doesn't seem to care he's out there." He asked.

Teela could tell he was worried and even though his parents weren't married he loved Adam as if they were." Nick, he'll be fine." Teela said pulling her son into a hug. "He's very resourceful when he wants to be and he's not alone. He knows what he needs to do and he's trained to survive. I know because he learned everything he knows from me, and my father. We know where he is so he's not lost. Why don't we make some hot chocolate That always makes me feel better. I've to go on patrol again and check in with the masters so I'll have to find someone else to look after you. Its past your bedtime but in this case, I can see why you're not sleeping yet."

Teela paused as she looked at Veena who nodded, "I'd love to babysit Teela. You and Marlena have other things to worry about right now. He'll be safe with me. I know its past his bedtime but I think he has more to worry about then a trip to dreamland."

Teela sighed with relieve, "Thank you," She paused, "wait, you're not royalty anymore. But what do I call you? You're not really related to me, at least I don't think you are."

Veena laughed, "No, I'm not family Teela. I'm just a family friend and the twin's godmother. You may not be family, but I've known you since you were born. Your father is my husband's best friend. Your mother was one of my favourite and best students. You can still use your childhood nickname Aunt Veena. Or just Veena, like everyone else. It's up to you. Nicholas can still call me Nan if he wants. I know he has two other grandmothers', Katelyn made up the nickname years ago. Hordak took her away from her mother and gave her to me thinking I was a nanny. Don't worry he's never figured out who I really was. My magic made sure of that."

"Do you know if Katelyn's here Nana?" Nicholas asked. He had been so concerned about the storm and whether his father was really okay like his mother said he was he hadn't heard her last statement.

"I don't believe so Nicholas." Veena smiled at Teela, "I'm sure if she was she'd want to spend time with her favourite cousin."

Nicholas sighed, "Can you make your famous hot chocolate Nana?" Nicholas asked. He then looked at his Grandmother, "I'm not trying to replace you Grandma. "Marlena smiled, "You and mommy go do the royal business me and Nana will be fine."

"Oh you will, will you?" Teela questioned. "Can I have a hug first or are you too grown up for that?"

"Not a chance Mommy!" Nicholas said giving his mother a tight bear hug. "I really hope Daddy will be here in the morning." He then looked over at Veena, "You're not scared are you Nana? "He asked. "If you are I could lend you my teddy, he's not scared of anything. He was my Daddy's when he was my age."

"That's sweet of you Nicholas, but no I'm not scared. I've been through lots of these storms in my time. I made that bear for your father when he was born. I'm glad he has a loving owner. I think he's better off with you anyways. Teddy bears are the bravest of stuffed animals. He'll protect you. Why don't you drink your hot chocolate and stop worrying hum? Your dad will be fine. "

Nicholas hugged his bear tight. "Thanks Nana."He then looked out the window into the night sky carefully sipping the hot cocoa he had been given. "Please be safe Daddy." Seconds after he drained the cup and crawled into bed, he was fast asleep. Veena pulled the covers over him tucking his bear under his arm and pulled out the sewing she brought to keep her min


End file.
